


All I Want For Christmas Is...

by HalcyonFrost



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Airports, Alternate Universe - Modern: No Powers, Christmas Fluff, Family Issues, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Holidays, Inspired by Real Events, Light Angst, Loki Feels, M/M, New Year's Eve, New Year's Kiss, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Tony is a little shit, Twitter, meeting the friends
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-22
Updated: 2017-12-24
Packaged: 2018-09-11 00:44:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 23,338
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8946331
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HalcyonFrost/pseuds/HalcyonFrost
Summary: Loki's stuck in a frustrating situation in a frustrating place. Messaging his friends is of little comfort, but he does have the minor fortune of sitting across from an attractive stranger in the airport terminal. No one else will know if Loki goes a little overboard on his fantasy, right?





	1. The Start

**Author's Note:**

> This _is_ inspired by a RL Twitter saga that went along and ended quite a bit differently. I didn't copy it to the best of my ability, but there are some shared events. Insomuch as writing a story about a murder in a theater is the same as writing about Abraham Lincoln.

There wasn't much to do in a crowded, Midwest airport a few days before Christmas.

Loki should have known better than to travel this time of year, but Frigga had said please so sweetly, it had been so long since he'd seen her, and... well, it might have gone better if she had mentioned beforehand that Thor and Odin would be there as well. Then he wouldn't have gotten into a yelling match with his foster family, reminded himself why he was estranged from them in the first place, and booked it back to the airport just to escape. He wouldn't have gotten a crappy seat on the next flight to any domestic town beyond driving distance, only to get landlocked when weather forced most of the flights back to New York to be delayed. Even the flights with two and three and four stops were locked because _hello, it was five days before Christmas,_ everyone was getting on and off a plane, and half the airports in the Northern half of the country were snowed in.

All Loki wanted to do now was get back home so he could go to sleep for a long time and have a quiet Christmas with his friends: the only three people that actually made him feel any kind of holiday spirit that wasn't a rejection of the season in general and all its stressful connotations of _family get-togethers_.

   Loki Borsson (@trikstrgod)  
       _ **@americanair** What kind of airport plays "Winter Wonderland" to people stuck in a terminal?_

If he was stuck here, he might as well share his misery to the amusement of his friends. Twitter's character limit at least shortened the bitterness to small doses.

   Natasha Romanov (@Widow-Maker)  
       _Accept your fate, **@trikstrgod.** Wasn't the final level of hell icy? Walking in a Winter Hellscape?_

Exhausted and drained though he was, Natasha's tweet back made Loki smile. Bless her dark, little soul; Natasha was a gift, and her company and her friendship was more valuable than Loki could ever put a price on.

But instead of her company, Loki was here. People watching. Watching _idiots._ Why did people think being rude to the employees would get anything done faster? Everyone was stuck here. Employees included. As if having to suffer the company wasn't bad enough, Loki had to watch people being indecent human beings on top of it all.

Five hours into what was supposed to be a two hour layover to the next flight, of course his eyes wandered. And yes, they wandered a lot. People watching had become a beloved and disappointing pastime of Loki's that more often ended in Loki debating becoming a hermit, so he hardly expected his sights to get caught on the guy sitting on the floor a few dozen yards across the terminal. Loki could mostly see the stranger's profile and a bare few glimpses of his full face when he glanced around. Just a few glances, but Loki was drawn in with that alone. Short brown hair shot with slight silver at his temples, a sharply trimmed goatee that framed his mouth and jaw, and dark eyes. The only aspect of his outfit that Loki could really decipher from this angle aside from dark denim jeans was the hot rod red scarf with gold edging wrapped around the man's neck and the heavy charcoal grey coat he had tossed over his bags and part of the floor. With Twitter already open, it took just a few seconds to post an update to continue the story sharing of his long wait.

   Loki Borsson (@trikstrgod)  
       _There's a hot goateed guy on the floor, eating dried blueberries from a bag. I'm inclined to go and introduce myself as his future husband._

Loki hardly had the perfect view, and twenty feet closer would have been much better, but there were some things that Loki acknowledged as likely to be unwelcome advances. Particularly when it came to men flirting with men. Reactions ranged from flattered but polite rejection to outright disgust, and Loki wasn't in the mood to suffer such a rebuff from such a hunk. So Loki admired from a distance.

His phone buzzed when Natasha replied a simple:

   Natasha Romanov (@Widow-Maker)  
       _ **@trikstrgod** Pictures required before I can approve him. All potential husbands vetted by me first._

but Loki had to wait until the hottie crumpled up his empty bag of snacks and reclined back on the pile of luggage comfortably. Given that Loki's Twitter was mostly followed by friends, it wouldn't be wrong to take a picture, would it? How many people would honestly see it? Surely very few? So Loki snapped a photo as discreetly as possible and posted it.

   Loki Borsson (@trikstrgod)  
       _ **@Widow-maker** My love will last longer than those blueberries did._

   Natasha Romanov (@Widow-Maker)  
       _ **@trikstrgod** Wow. Very approved. Now go talk to him. I want to be an aunt soon, and you're my best shot at adopted nieces._

Loki politely declined but kept admiring the view regardless as said unwitting paramour propped an expensive tablet on his thighs, plugged in earbuds, and started tapping away. Lovely. Distracted enough that Loki could sneak in more peeks. Perhaps more and longer _peeks_ than he should have, but what else was there to do around here?

His phone buzzed a couple more times while Loki was lost in daydreams of better time gone by and hopeful fantasy futures, but he eventually snapped himself out of it and unlocked his phone to check in.

   Bucky Barnes (@prsthticesthic)  
       _ **@trikstrgod** , if you don’t go talk to that hottie, I will fly over there and snag him myself._

   Natasha Romanov (@Widow-Maker)  
       _ **@prsthticesthic** Find your own eye candy, Barnes._

   Bucky Barnes (@prsthticesthic)  
        _C'mon **@Widow-Maker** , if you were looking, wouldn't you be looking at a hot goateed guy too?"_

   Natasha Romanov (@Widow-Maker)  
       _This one's taken. Not that a showmanship fight between **@prsthticesthtic** and **@trikstrgod** wouldn't be fantastic to watch._

   Bucky Barnes (@prsthticesthic)  
        _Which peacock will win the show? Tune in whenever the fuck Loki actually makes it back to NY._

Loki decided against the temptation to ignore them and tried to finish his reply before they could get into another fight.

   Loki Borsson (@trikstrgod)  
       _This is a real person we're talking about here, so show some respect. Also, get your own husband, Barnes._

The whole situation was ridiculous, Loki felt ridiculous being here, and his fascination with this stranger in particular was ridiculous, so why not continue it with vigor?

   Bucky Barnes (@prsthticesthic)  
        _ **@trikstrgod** Fine then. Be a selfish punk. See if I pick you up at the airport tomorrow or not._

   Loki Borsson (@trikstrgod)  
       _You sit in packed terminal, through the same fifteen insipid songs redone by fifteen million artists, and you can get the handsome guy._

   Bucky Barnes (@prsthticesthic)  
       _Nerds always get the hotties in the movies, so why not **@trikstrgod**?_

   Loki Borsson (@trikstrgod)  
       _I feel so attacked right now. Shut up, **@prsthticesthtic**. I'll see if he has a brother for you._

   Bucky Barnes (@prsthticesthic)  
        _Fuck off. I should be safe from your matchmaking though since YOU'RE NEVER GOING TO TALK TO HIM._

   Loki Borsson (@trikstrgod)  
       _Watch me, peasant. Oh, wait. You don't have a hot goateed guy to flirt with. Shame._

But when Loki glanced up to make good on his response, the cutie and his bags were gone. An oddly deep panic set into Loki’s chest that surely was disproportionate to the fact that he didn’t even know the guy, but somehow, the thought of losing track of him genuinely distressed Loki. It was silly. _He didn’t know the man._ He just... really wanted to know him.

Trying to make light of it and loosen the knot in his chest, Loki updated again:

   Loki Borsson (@trikstrgod)  
       _Oh, no! Hot goateed guy's disappeared!_

   Natasha Romanov (@Widow-Maker)  
       _You could ask an officer for help. I'm sure they would after you tell them details of your relationship._

Natasha suggested, followed by another tweet:

   Natasha Romanov (@Widow-Maker)  
       _ **@americanair** , pls find and assure that my friend meets his husband and shares his flight. Also, pls introduce them._

   Bucky Barnes (@prsthticesthic)  
        _"No I don't know his name, but here's a recent picture. Of course he's my husband. Why are you looking at me like that?"_

Barnes returned, and Loki wanted to reach through his phone screen and smack them both upside the head.

   Loki Borsson (@trikstrgod)  
       _♪ My baby's gooooone and I HAVE NO FRIENDS ♪ **@prsthticesthtic** & **@Widow-maker**_

Grabbing his bags, Loki picked a direction and started wandering. Where to? His knowledge of the man was that he was okay with laying on airport floors (shocking and worrying, honestly), that he liked dried fruit, and had good taste in electronics. That didn't exactly help much. Loki's head throbbed, and his eyes begged for sleep, but he wasn’t testing his luck on napping until he was on a flight headed somewhere, just in case there were any _more_ gate and/or time changes. Getting stranded in a Missouri airport was not exactly Loki's idea of a well-spent holiday, so he made a beeline to the coffee shop for some liquid strength.

Then again, maybe he was already attuned to his wishful fiancé.

Loki stepped into the lengthening line for Starbucks and turned around to snap a picture of half of his face and the rest of the queue line stretching out towards the shop. Including the hot goateed guy about four people ahead of Loki.

   Loki Borsson (@trikstrgod)  
       _Found him. Enjoying our first coffee run together._

   Clint Barton (@hawkward)  
        _Well, keep us informed on if you find out his name._

Make that three people to punch when he got back to New York.

   Loki Borsson (@trikstrgod)  
       _Go back to your farm, **@hawkward.**_

Clint responded with nothing more than a winking emoji, and Loki grimaced at his phone more than a little. Looking up for another peek at the back of the hot goateed guy's head, Loki was struck to catch the other man's eye. Brown. The man had brown eyes. And a lovely smile. Loki barely recovered enough from the sight to give him a smile back. The fleeting moment was torn apart as the man turned to face the front of the line again, and Loki braced himself back against his luggage and took a deep breath.

   Loki Borsson (@trikstrgod)  
       _I'm done. His smile is made of sunshine._

He'd just posted it when he froze and looked at what was becoming a saga on his Twitter page. Was he really so desperate and fragile as to latch on to a stranger like this? It was just a joke. It was just supposed to be a joke about a cute guy, and he was taking it too far. Why was he taking it so far?

His friends hadn't had the chance to reply before Loki updated again.

   Loki Borsson (@trikstrgod)  
       _This is ridiculous. _I'm_ ridiculous. What the hell am I doing. What the fuck is wrong with me that I'm creeping on this guy._

He shoved his phone in his pocket and broke out of line with his bags to go back and slump back down on to the uncomfortable seats. Sure, it was a shitty place to be right now, but why the fuck was he suddenly obsessed with a stranger? It was sick, and now he felt it too.

His phone vibrated again a couple times, until he couldn't keep ignoring it and checked just to shut them up. The airline had evidently seen Natasha's earlier tweet and had responded that they unfortunately were an entirely indirect matchmaking service, but the attempt at a joke only turned to a stone in Loki's stomach. Bucky had replied to tell Loki to listen to Natasha, and so had Clint, but Loki had to scroll past them to see what she said.

   Natasha Romanov (@Widow-Maker)  
       _Loki, take a breath. You're away from home, betrayed from walking into a family ambush, and now you're attracted to a cute guy. It's okay._

And another:

   Natasha Romanov (@Widow-Maker)  
       _You're not stalking him; you're just focusing on what and who is attracting positive feelings in a shitty situation._

Loki followed the advice and took a couple deep breaths, but he still didn’t reply immediately. Maybe his actions were excusable, but he still felt weird. He knew he should reply so that they wouldn't worry about him, but he didn’t feel like saying much. So he just said what he could manage.

   Loki Borsson (@trikstrgod)  
       _Maybe you're right, **@Widow-Maker.**_

Taking another heavy inhale and then puffing it out, Loki cradled his phone in his hands and laid his head back uncomfortably towards the low headrests of the seats. Maybe a nap wouldn't be a bad idea after all.

"Lose patience with the line?"

Loki startled and found the hot goateed guy with coffee in hand, standing right in front of Loki, staring at him and... talking to him? _Well,_ his mind bitterly supplied, _now James will lose that bet._ Loki’s forced smile towards the stranger was probably incredibly unconvincing as the amused grin that he was aiming for, but he didn't want to not reply. "Yes. Something like that, I suppose. Losing patience, definitely."

The guy looked like he was trying for a comforting nod and slight laugh, but surely he could feel the awkwardness Loki was radiating. "I'm with you there." He started to back away already, and Loki didn't know how to stop him. "Well, good luck on your flights."

"Thank you." With a confirming nod, the guy turned his back, but Loki hesitated and called after him one more time. "Wait!"

He stopped immediately and looked back, and Loki tried for a more genuine smile.

"Good luck on your flights too."

Yep. Smile of sunshine, even the small ones. "Thanks."

Loki watched the guy return to his previous place on the floor, better facing Loki and propping up a slight bit more with tablet in one hand and his coffee cup in the other. Then Loki returned to his phone.

   Loki Borsson (@trikstrgod)  
       _Pay up, **@prsthticesthtic,** I talked to the cutie._

   Bucky Barnes (@prsthticesthic)  
        _And?! You talked to him and you're still tweeting?!_

   Loki Borsson (@trikstrgod)  
       _And he's back over on his section of floor. If I were still talking to him, I wouldn't be tweeting._

   Clint Barton (@hawkward)  
       _Do you know how far back I had to scroll to figure out what was going on here, **@trikstrgod?**_

Clint griped before: 

   Clint Barton (@hawkward)  
       _Would you please go fucking talk to the man? You can either talk to him or forever regret not doing it._

   Loki Borsson (@trikstrgod)  
       _I'd mock you and call you "mother", but I'm actually talking to you, **@hawkward.**_

   Clint Barton (@hawkward)  
       _ **@trikstrgod** is salty today. Not enough sugar. I wonder who could help with that._

   Loki Borsson (@trikstrgod)  
       _Certainly not **@hawkward**_

Idiot. He shouldn't make Loki smile so easily. Damn him.

   Clint Barton (@hawkward)  
       _How much are you going to wish you talked to him, **@trikstrgod?**_

Clint tweeted with more persistence, and Loki grimaced when his brain supplied the answer so quickly: a lot. He would regret it a lot.

He glanced up to the hot goateed guy to see him still on his tablet, fingers tracing something on his screen and scrolling up in multiple places across the screen like he was working on several tasks at once. Must have been something important with his furrowed brow and look of intense concentration. But every few moments, it broke to amusement in the twist of one corner of his mouth. He glanced up for just a second, right at Loki, and gave him a difficult to decipher look before smiling a bit more and looking back to his tablet.

   Loki Borsson (@trikstrgod)  
       _Don't ask me questions I don't like the answers to, **@hawkward**._

Natasha and Bucky both replied before Loki could even finish posting and turning his phone off. They said about the same things in different words: talk to the guy. It was only a short while before his flight was _supposed_ to be taking off, and it was undetermined whether or not hot goateed guy would be sharing that flight. Now or never.

But how the _fuck_ was he going to explain that he'd spent half an hour talking about the guy to friends instead of talking to the guy himself? That was only ever going to come off as creepy.

Loki got distracted by laughter, and he had to internally groan at the lovely sight hot goateed guy made when he laughed.

   Loki Borsson (@trikstrgod)  
       _Bless whatever it was on his tablet that made the hot goateed guy laugh. I hear angels singing._

   Bucky Barnes (@prsthticesthic)  
        _Sounds dreamy. Maybe you could talk to him, and then we could all see his laugh in person later._

   Loki Borsson (@trikstrgod)  
       _That's assuming he's interested, **@prsthticesthtic.** Not everyone is gay, you know._

   Bucky Barnes (@prsthticesthic)  
        _THEN MAKE A GODDAMN FRIEND OR SMTH, JFC. TALK. TO. HIM._

   Loki Borsson (@trikstrgod)  
       _"YES, HELLO, I'VE BEEN STARING AT YOU FOR TWENTY MINUTES, AND YOU'RE HOT, CAN WE BE FRIENDS?" That will go splendidly._

He was waiting on a reply, but then someone new popped up and tagged Loki. And his heart about jumped into his throat.

   Tony Stark (@strk_rvng)  
       _ **@trikstrgod** , hot goateed guy is flattered. ;3 And also pan, jsyk._

Loki stared. His friends buzzed a couple more times in shock and concern, but Loki's attention was glued to the few words from a stranger. Even looking up to confirm his fears seemed like a huge step, but he had to just...

He dared to raise his eyes to glance at the other man, and sure enough, the guy was looking right at Loki, with a cheeky grin and a wave ready as soon as he caught Loki's eye.

_Jesus fucking Christ..._

He gave up and just dropped his head between his legs with a groan, his phone limp in his hands. Could anything go right today? Evidently not. Less than thirty seconds later, Loki felt the seat shudder as someone sat down beside him heavily, but he couldn't look up. If he did, he would have to accept that this was possibly one of the most fucked up days he'd had since he was 17 and found out his parents weren't his parents.

"So. I know you proposed a while ago and all..." The guy started, and Loki just groaned again, "but I'm only just now hearing about it, so you'll have to forgive my delayed response." There was laughter in hot goateed guy's voice, and as much as Loki was now chagrined to realize that the earlier chuckling was likely while reading Loki and his friends' saga of tweets, Loki knew he would have to take a chance and look the fuck up. He wanted to talk to the guy, right? Well, here he was.

Loki sat up with a heavy sigh, giving himself another moment upright before turning his head towards the hot goateed guy and his shit-eating grin. "Hi there." The man greeted, and Loki felt ridiculously charmed amidst intense embarrassment.

"You read the whole thing, didn't you?"

"Yep."

"Oh god..." Loki covered his face again as he heard giggles beside him. 

"I was just checking the airline's Twitter and stumbled across a curiosity-inducing response to a customer. A tour through Twitter later, I found you. Well, found _myself_." He explained. "Good thing too. I didn't know I took such good pictures from the side."

It took Loki a little more forced strength of will to come back out of himself and face the other man. "I'm sorry for the whole-"

"Not at all." The guy dismissed. "I actually tried to come over and talk to _you_. But you seemed kind of preoccupied and mostly-" he pointed to Loki's phone, "focused on that instead, so I just..." With a huff of embarrassment, the guy rubbed the back of his neck and chewed on his bottom lip nervously before dropping his hand and looking back to Loki. "No regrets." He said determinedly, then with a little more teasing: "I have a proposal to respond to, after all."

"You're never going to let me forget that, are you?"

"Maybe after a couple anniversaries have passed." He grinned, and Loki frankly loved the mischievous look in hot goateed guy's eyes. "You'll just have to put up with me. And speaking of, you're headed to New York too, right? Long flight." He led with all the subtlety of an approaching train. "Lot of changes. Would be nice to have some company."

"Like sitting together, perhaps? So you can torture me more?"

His chuckle was guilty but completely unrepentant. "This is me officially asking my new fiancé on a date."

Fuck. He was going to be so much trouble.

Finally, over the loudspeaker, the next connecting flight to New York was starting their boarding call at the next gate, and other man got to his feet and started pulling his bags together. Loki fiddled with his phone still vibrating every few seconds, but he didn't dare check it now and pull his attention away from the other man.

"So?" The guy asked. "Yes or no?"

Oh, what the hell. Why not? "Alright then." Loki agreed. "I could think of worse company to keep."

"Well, aren't we being sentimental? _Honey?_ " Damn that smile. "Shall we, uh..." He nodded to Loki's phone, "update your friends one more time? Maybe a picture to bring it full circle?"

So much trouble. Loki was looking forward to it.

"Suggestions?" 

"Hm." The man fiddled absently with an edge of his scarf. "I've got an idea if you're game."

"For screwing with them?" Curious, Loki unlocked his phone and handed it over. "It would be a pleasure."

He fucking _beamed_ , and it could have broken Loki's heart. "Gimme a second." He shifted closer to Loki, their shoulders brushing so that Loki could see what Tony was doing as he tapped the camera icon for a new tweet. He paused before starting though and gave Loki a sideways glance. "I'm Tony, for the record. In case you skimmed past that when you were freaking out."

"Loki. Which you already knew."

"I did. But it's nice to hear it. And nice to meet you." They shared a quiet look that made Loki's heart stutter, but Tony - his name was _Tony_ \- broke it with a nudge to Loki's side. "Though some day, I expect a ring if you really want to take me off the market."

"Don't make me regret my proposal already."

"No promises." Tony teased and held up the phone to face them. "Now let's fuck with your friends. Give them a nice picture." Only at the instant before Tony took the picture, he turned to kiss Loki's cheek with an exaggerated _chuick_ noise, and Loki almost laughed over the camera's shutter sound. Tony showed off the shot for approval before posting though: Tony's lips on Loki's cheek and Loki's face scrunched up in an obvious giggle while they both had a light flush of pink across their faces. It was certain to garner a lot of confusion and questions from Loki's friends, but given that he was about to board a plane and couldn't _possibly_ respond immediately, it was the exact right time to post it.

"Approved?" Tony questioned, and Loki nodded and stepped close enough that the sides of their hips were touching.

"Ideal. I trust you have a caption in mind?"

"Of course. 'Hot goateed guy is wondering: what color for our boutonnières?'"

As Tony occupied himself tapping in the last few words and tagging them both, Loki took a chance and leaned in to place a soft kiss to Tony's temple, delighting in the short pause it caused Tony before he finished the tweet quickly, posted it, then held the phone back out for Loki. His voice was a bit tighter when he confirmed: "Done and done." When Loki tried to take his phone back though, Tony's hand lingered enough to brush his finger tips to Loki's. "You ready for our five-hour date? Naps may or may not be a possibility during said date; though it would be fun to come back and tweet that we've already slept together."

"You _are_ a menace." Loki stashed his phone back in his pocket. "Sounds delightful."

From the time they walked off together, to halfway through the second plane flight, Tony was only ever quiet when Loki was talking instead. They talked family and friends, lovers and losses, and on into passions and hobbies and odd interests that entertained them. They shared many favorites in media and passionately disagreed with each other's choices in others at times. Tony encouraged pictures of their food to scold it as an improper first date meals, and made sure Loki didn't forget to post the numerous other commentary updates on his Twitter in between flights. Tony giggled like a kid and smiled like a summer day, and Loki was feeling like his original tweet might have been prophetic after all.

The day started as a disaster and continued into embarrassment and frustration, but this wasn't a bad wrap up. Eye-candy-cum-adorable-boyfriend? He turned "disaster" into "unexpectedly good" and that was still an understatement.

When Tony started dozing off partway through the final flight back to New York, Loki hardly minded considering he'd barely noticed when he startled awake from his own unrealized nap. Tony just took Loki's phone back with a sleepy smile, programmed in his contact information, and let Loki do the same with his number in Tony's phone. Afterwards, Loki settled in to go back to sleep positioned to wake up opposite Tony's face again. It would be a lovely view to wake up to again, he was sure, and what better way to greet coming home than to see his new boyfriend beside him?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do you know how many times I fixed and redid and edited and fixed and edited again on the coding for the tweets? Do you even know Bless Stars' patience throughout it all and all the screen caps I spammed her with for opinions. Couldn't have done it without her again. Luckily, none of the other chapters will have tweets like this, so it will spare all of us, heh.
> 
> This is an eight-part fic, the first chapter being the "main" fic, and the next seven being excerpts and highlights to continue and wrap the story. Several are already partially written and all are completely plotted; I'm just stealing the time to finish writing them as I can! So read, subscribe, and enjoy the updates as they come through the season~
> 
> Happy holidays!


	2. Team Stark

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meet the team, part one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I intended to post this on Christmas day, but the family drama llama reared its head, and I didn't finish in time. Apologies for the delayed timing, and we're back to writing and posting now!

Of all things for Tony to come back from Alameda with, a boyfriend was low on the list of things Steve could have anticipated. Rhodey had texted Steve to tell him to check Tony's Twitter at an ungodly hour of night (not that Steve wasn't awake still - his current canvas was rather taking over all his free time), and Steve had to do a hop, skip, and a jump across various other pages to get the whole story. Following that, Tony spent most of the next day texting Steve about the guy. And the day after. _Constantly._ Any irritation Steve would have felt any other day of the year was blocked out by the hilarity that was Tony's Canada-sized crush on a relative stranger. It had been a long time since Tony was this enamored of someone, and honestly, it was like watching Tony revert to being a child again in all the best ways.

Steve just saved them both the time and asked to meet Tony and Loki for lunch the Tuesday after Christmas. To throw Loki for a curve and see how well he could think on his feet, Steve invited Rhodey and Bruce along as a surprise.

Steve deserved that punch to his shoulder, courtesy of Tony, but it was so worth it. Loki adjusted quickly with a laugh and just asked Tony to introduce his friends. It didn’t take long before Tony got over his annoyance and got back to the excitement of Loki meeting Tony's friends.

The chats were fairly shallow at first as they took their seats at the round table with Loki sitting to Tony's left, Steve to Tony's other side, and Rhodey and Bruce to Steve's other side. Every one was splitting their attention between the menus and each other and trying to gauge each other gradually to some success. By the time they ordered, they had pretty much settled that Loki was not a passing fancy and way more than a striking face, and the digging started. 

"I hope you know what you're getting into, Loki." Rhodey joked with a deadpan tone. "He's a handful. Prone to explosions."

"That was _once_ , and I got the fire extinguisher before it spread to too much of the shop." Tony defended.

"Three times," Steve corrected, "but one of those was mostly a subpar partner's fault."

"And yet it still went on _my_ record."

"That's what happens when you get into a competition with a freshman in tech university. It always goes badly, and it always goes big." Rhodey said it in a way that spoke of such long suffering and way too much exposure to said piece of knowledge. "Maybe you shouldn't have targeted a member of faculty's property for that stunt."

"I would have gotten away with it if the other idiot hadn't _borrowed_ from the chemistry department."

"Yes, you were truly the more conservative one there." Steve dismissed. " _Anyway._ That's all in the past now. You've gotten way better at covering your tracks and choosing your battles."

"My god, was that a compliment?"

"Don't dwell, Tony. Now I believe we were here to get acquainted with your boyfriend?"

"Ah-ah! Future husband, thank you."

"With Loki. Acquainted with Loki." Steve pressed.

"You'll have to be more specific." Loki took over, a fond curl to the edge of his mouth as he enjoyed the banter between friends. "What burning questions tax your mind?"

"How long have you been in New York?"

"A few years. A friend of mine convinced me to come with him. He was a Brooklyn native himself; we met him when he was on medical rehab in San Francisco, and I fell in love with it here in the winter. My family still lives back there though, in San Francisco. They have to be in the heart of the city." 

"Oh, you were visiting family last week?"

It was just a fractional change in the air and how Loki appeared, but Steve could see Loki close off. "Briefly." Even his voice was harder, but the tension didn't seem to do with Steve, more with the topic. "I was trying to visit my mother, but my brother and father and I don't get along well. Mother still thinks putting us all in the same room will magically fix it." He shrugged stiffly. "I took the next long flight out that would connect to New York, and I ended up in Missouri first."

"I'm sorry." And Steve was. The subject was delicate, and fresh too. He didn't know how he had forgotten that little detail from seeing Loki's Twitter the week earlier. "I didn't mean to pry-"

"Not at all." Loki dismissed with too much practiced air in his voice. He hadn't managed to practice not fiddling anxiously with his napkin on the table though. "Not everyone has a perfect family. Some are nuclear in _other_ definitions of the word." Dropping the napkin like he finally realized what he was doing, he shifted his hand to take Tony's under the table instead, and Loki's smile was a little brighter this time. "But the trip wasn't for nothing after all. I think I rather lucked out."

"In so many ways." Tony teased, and Loki used Tony's own hand to smack his leg scoldingly. "Would you rather I get _really_ sappy and call it fate? Because of all the thousands of variables, you spotting me, me finding your friend's post, that we were both interested in guys _and_ in each other, that's a lot of fucking luck."

"I'm not used to hearing 'luck' in reference to me and it not being a joke." Loki answered honestly, and Steve saw Tony's smile falter before he squeezed Loki's hand tighter. "Unbelievable happenstance though it was," he looked back to the group at large as he cast the misstep aside, "I've been happy with the result." 

They took the transition in stride and changed subject to lighter things, simpler stories, and fonder thoughts as drinks and food made their way out to the table, and they ate slowly between chatting. Loki managed to maintain a place somewhere between slightly distanced and personable, though the former didn't seem entirely intentional. 

It was only once they were comparing annoyances in the shape of certain other people in their lives that Steve offhandedly called someone a blue falcon, and Loki's eyes lit up. 

"You're military?"

"Army." Tony said with a nod to Steve, "Air Force," a gesture to Rhodey, then lastly to Bruce: "military biochemistry research."

"Formerly." Bruce corrected for himself. "The funding was nice until I realized how much I don't like authority." All said in Bruce's shockingly even delivery as if was talking about nothing more serious than doing laundry. "Certain situations cause anger management issues. There may have been a few incidents leading to the Army and I mutually deciding it would be better if we parted ways without strings." 

"You can tell why Bruce and I are good friends now, yes?" Tony questioned; Loki's nod and slightly nervous laugh sounded like he completely believed the possibility of the calm doctor having a dark side. 

"As an old teacher of mine once told my mother: 'it's always the quiet ones.'" 

" _Always._ " Bruce smirked. "Sounds like you were one too?"

"I developed an innocent face and a good story from an early age." Loki's chest puffed up with a bit of pride before he shrugged a bit and it left him. "Lost a bit of the former as I grew up and experimented in the wrong places, but let's just say I never had a teacher who was neutral in their opinion of me."

"I didn't even realize it was possible to have a teacher who was neutral. That was an impossibility for me." Tony commiserated. "Meanwhile, Steve was a goddamn teacher's pet."

"I was always a good student." Steve defended to little avail as Tony exaggerated rolling his eyes. "C'mon, I was an art major; every grade can be argued in an art class, and I know how to defend my work."

"An art student? In the army?" Loki asked. 

" _Ex_ -army. I was young when I joined up anyway, and found out late in the game that the policies didn't really agree with me."

"Steve knows the definition of 'covert,' but he doesn't know how to apply it." Tony explained. "Least of all to this." 

"It took me long enough to discover and accept who I am; I'm not going to shut my mouth about it because it's considered unsavory and out of place."

"Shut up about what?" Loki pressed with genuinely amused curiosity as the others around the tablet let out various exasperated noises and Tony could be heard muttering about the soapbox coming out before he turned to chat more with Bruce and Rhodey. 

But it would be rude to not say. And Loki did ask. "The 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' bullshit policy. It was still in affect when I was enlisted. I'm going to fucking ask. And I'm going to goddamn tell. And I am not going to care who anyone sleeps with or doesn't sleep with because what does it matter when we're all risking life and limb fighting for our country? And somehow saying you're attracted to your own sex is and still want to fight like anyone else isn't acceptable?" When Loki only nodded with a stifled grin and looked to still be waiting for more, Steve continued. "Don't get me wrong - I loved being in the army. I loved standing for something, fighting for it. I made close friends with so many fellow soldiers, and I loved and lost a lot, sometimes very literally. But when DADT started resurfacing, and I found out about it? I got out as soon as my term was up. Came home and found ways to still fight for what I believe in. Just didn't realize until I went into the army what it was I _really_ needed to fight for. Annnnd that the army wasn't going to help me with that but was in fact more likely to _hinder_ me fighting for it. I could put my life on the line willingly, but I'll be damned if I let someone tell me how to live it."

"I couldn't agree with you more." Loki said with a laugh in his voice as he reached for his drink glass, and just as Steve was formulating a response in his head, common sense rained down on him like a ton of bricks. The obscure slang, Loki immediately recognizing it... There went Steve's mouth running off on him again. 

"So, uh. Did you serve?"

Loki immediately shook his head around his straw and swallowed quickly. "Oh, no, no, definitely not my place. A close friend of mine was army too. Formerly. He was discharged for an injury."

"Oh." That could be better or worse. "Overseas or domestic injury?"

"Overseas. He lost most of his left arm from the bicep down when an extraction went wrong. Got himself a fancy purple heart for his troubles, followed by months of physical therapy, healing, psychological therapy, drug therapy, and yet more exercises before and after the hospital released him." Loki's head listed towards his shoulder in thought for a moment. "He disagreed with DADT too, but he was neither out of the closet or high enough in rank to change much of it, and then he was discharged before he could reach more influential heights."

Yeah. Steve still couldn't tell if that was better or worse. "Wow. I wasn't off the front lines myself, but I guess I still managed to get lucky that I got out as clear as I did."

"Heh." Loki's huff was barely laughter and more bitter. "My friend considers himself lucky that he only lost an arm. He knew people that lost a lot more." 

"We all did." 

Loki hummed an affirmative and held a sympathetic face for all of five seconds before his eyes narrowed slightly and gained a gleam that Steve was all too familiar with. 

"Uh-oh." 

Loki was broken out of his thoughts and blinked as he looked back up to Steve. "What?" 

"Tony gets that same look in his eye when he's plotting something." 

"What's that about me now?" Tony focused back at the same time as Loki questioned: "Plotting?" 

"He fakes innocent too." In fact, Steve was fairly certain he had heard that exact tone from Tony before. 

Loki dropped the act faster than Tony usually did though and grinned. "I was just thinking you and Bucky would get along well. Disparaging idiotic policies while reminiscing of good times and good people."

"Oh, a set up." As good a guess as any, Steve supposed. 

"Not a set up." Loki assured to not much convincing. "Just noticing like minds. As much as Tony and Bruce are like minds or myself and my friends are like minds."

"Plus, it really depends on how cute the friend is." Tony commented, and Loki lightly elbowed in the ribs again to Tony's sharp "oof" around laughter. 

"I'd ask you to excuse my fiancé, but I think you do that often enough." 

"So very often." Bruce added. 

"How many times has it been today so far?" Rhodey pondered. 

"You all suck." Tony groused, but Steve was stuck on the fond and slightly besotted look that Loki was giving to Tony while his boyfriend wasn't looking. 

Maybe Steve missed dating _a little bit._ But he wasn't so far gone as to request a blind date from a friend's boyfriend's friend. He had standards as much as he had suspicion. He'd had his suspicions of Loki too, considering the unconventional method that he and Tony met, but seeing them interact in person now? Less so. 

Through the rest of lunch and the conversations around it, Steve tried to keep it directed back at the couple, entertained by their interactions with each other and how well Loki was meshing in and relating to everyone. Loki actively asked questions and was the only one to patiently listen when Steve went off on a few of the rants he'd had gotten used to being derailed from by others. He was _charming_ , for all Steve only truly trusted Loki to be about as innocent as Tony, which wasn't saying much. Then again, that seemed to be working for them. Longevity was yet to be proven, but the hope and growing affection in both of their faces wasn't nothing. 

Steve was sure he would hear just as much in coming days as he had in days past. This wasn't going to be the last time he met Loki. With any luck, their playful jibes at calling each other their fiancé might become a reality in a couple years' time. 

Though Steve wasn't sure how much longer he could take a dozen texts a day about Tony's boyfriend. With some _real_ luck, maybe that would quiet down in a few weeks. Or so Steve _really_ hoped for.


	3. The Set Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Loki gets an idea, it's trouble enough. When he shares it with Tony, there is no hope for their targets.

It was amusement more than anything. Bucky texted asking how well meeting Tony's friends went, and Loki just _casually_ mentioned Tony's ex-military friend, Steve. Then he just _happened_ to convey that Steve left the military for personal reasons relating to DADT, and if Bucky clicked on a link Loki sent that led to a picture, well, that was all Bucky's choice.

It started after Loki met Tony’s friends for lunch the week before. Getting to talk to Steve, Loki saw more than a few resemblances and common interests between Steve and Bucky, so Loki mentioned it to his friend. Then found a picture on Tony's Facebook page from a pride parade that _might_ have been Steve in nothing but desert camo pants and a blue, purple, and pink flag draped across his shoulders.

 _"Captain Beefcake?"_ Loki questioned, and had to wait a long several seconds even after Bucky saw the picture for him to start responding.

_"Captain, my captain, he can order me around any time. Damn, I need to start going to pride parades."_

_"No need. I know the headliners. Steve's a wildling with the face of the boy next door."_

_"Don't tempt me, Borsson."_

The subject was mostly dropped after that, but Loki wasn't going to let an opportunity go to waste. 

When he and Tony had another date set up on Thursday, Loki mentioned the idea to Tony as they sat side by side at a small corner table of a crowded bistro. After Tony stopped giggling, he got the mischievous glint in his eye that was starting to get under Loki's skin and send shivers of anticipation down his spine at the thought of what trouble Tony was going to get them into. Trouble, Loki liked. It made for a couple pulse-racing but exciting dates already as Loki fought to catch up to Tony and do one better, in turn enticing Tony to do the same. They had their simpler dates like this as well, but Tony wasn't predictable in the slightest. Only predictable to leave Loki reeling with delight. 

Drawing his glass in for a sip, Tony's eyes didn't leave Loki as he asked: "So what's your friend Bucky like then?" 

"You've talked to him already. He's @prsthticesthic from Twitter."

"Ohh, is that how you pronounce it? So he's..." Loki could see it click over in Tony's head, the connection from the name to the mentions and implications. " _Oh_. When you were telling Steve about your ex-military friend..."

"That was Bucky, yes. He wears a prosthetic most of time in public or around strangers."

"So he wears the prosthetic mostly to avoid stares." Tony surmised quickly, and Loki more than wanted to pin Tony to a wall and kiss the mouth that so much casual intelligence fell from. Too bad they weren't really _there_ yet. But lord, was Loki ready to be there sometimes. Maybe four dates was a bit soon for necking in public.

Instead, he focused on the subject at hand and tried to distract himself from tempting thoughts and fantasies. "He's part of a community online that's been working to dispel some of the stigma of losing limbs and the expectation to return to normalcy. Rather, _the appearance_ of normalcy. Like body positivity and self-acceptance as much as it's trying to educate anyone else that comes across it to not treat amputees like someone to be pitied or fixed. I wouldn't call him as outspoken on topics as Steve is," which was an understatement with how highly opinionated Steve seemed to be, "but Bucky doesn't suffer letting someone continue with an unwise opinion."

"Quiet until shit falls out of someone's mouth that needs correcting. Got it. I can relate." Tony grinned. "Sooooo. What does Bucky look like then? As cute as me or cuter?"

Loki didn't grace the comment with anything more than an eye roll before he pulled his phone out to track down a picture, and Tony practically grabbed the device out of Loki's hand.

"Um. I need to meet this man. For reasons." He swiped to the next picture. "My god..."

"Careful there, _dear_. You're only supposed to say those two words for me." For all Loki said it as a tease, he couldn't help the tiny spike of worry and nerves that Tony's reaction set off.

Tony's eyes flicked up to meet Loki's, and all his attention was back to Loki in an instant. "Sweetheart, all you have to do is set the time, and I'll say _all kinds_ of lovely things alongside your name." Such a promise in that voice... well, the heat that settled under Loki's skin was a sharp contrast to the bitter weather outside. 

"As much as I do like the sound of that, it doesn't ease my mind much on you drooling over my friend." Sure, they played the engaged card, but four dates did not a commitment make. And if Tony was really so intrigued by a picture of Bucky... Tony was free to change his mind; it wouldn't leave a pleasant taste in Loki's mouth though. "I'm not going to have to get you a ring before you meet my friend, am I? He did threaten to steal you away before we even properly met."

"I got the guy I want." Tony purred and pressed a kiss to Loki's cheek. "My interest is purely vicarious for Steve. Plus. You proposed first. I gotta honor my engagements."

And Tony would have to meet Bucky some time regardless, wouldn't he? There was no point in hiding anything. And he had to _trust_. So he turned his phone back to Tony. 

"Bucky did a few modeling and theater gigs before he joined the military." Loki commented amusedly as Tony swiped through the album. Some of those particular shots were going on eight years old by now, but even some of the newer ones that were more casual, Bucky was the exact opposite of unattractive in, oh, _any of them_. It wasn't to say Loki was attracted to his friend that way, but he could acknowledge that Bucky was good-looking as much as Loki could acknowledge attractive women or a landscape. He could enjoy the view platonically as much as he liked.

"They _need_ to meet. Steve would go nuts for Bucky. How many of these can I oh-so-subtly message to Steve too?" 

Laughing lightly, he put his phone away as he patted Tony on the shoulder. "I'll send you copies of the best." 

"We _have_ to set up our hot friends with each other. We have to be one of those insufferable couples that sets up everybody else with everybody else so that they can be so smothered with their own happiness that they won't mind us being obscenely affectionate with each other in public." Tony rubbed his shoulder to Loki's as if they weren't already close enough together, but Loki wasn't about to make him stop. 

Goddamn charmer. Tony was worming his way into Loki's affection too easily, and it was almost worrying except for the fact that Tony made Loki twice as happy in the moment as he was worried afterwards that it would peter out and go away. Tony was a unique date, to put it mildly, and no exes compared or came close to even the first few dates with Tony had been. But surely there had to be a return to reality? At some point, wouldn't they fall out of their honeymoon phase and find flaws in each other? Tony was obviously impulsive, and Loki obviously reserved despite his love for pranks, but the contrast suited them. They both strived for more and more and never settled for anything less than exactly what they wanted, both eternally ambitious and curious, both loved the same basics in life, so why couldn't there be potential for more? 

As much as Loki sometimes wondered about the future, he somehow just as easily thought there _was_ a possibility for a future, and he was going to indulge himself in that hope for as long as he could. Including setting up their friends as if there was no fear of breakup.

"I'll arrange something." He agreed to Tony's excited smile. "Let me see how receptive Bucky might be to being set up with a date first."

"And I'll wear Steve down." Tony gasped and grabbed Loki's arm. "They could meet _happenstance_ at our engagement party."

"We'd have to _have_ an engagement party."

"Trivial." Tony waved him off. "I'm thinking... an engagement party on New's Year Eve for our friends to meet."

"That's not too fast?"

"We're engaged, of course not." Tony stated evenly and unmistakably daring, but there was a careful look in his eyes and the curve of his mouth like he was waiting for Loki to break the act. Which would likely break the banter.

Well, Loki wasn't going to. Silly as it might seem, Loki _loved_ the act. So he was keeping it.

"I promise I'll be good." Tony pulled a coy face that was completely unconvincing, but the licentious tone was completely real.

"No, you'll owe me." Loki corrected.

"Deal." Tony leaned over and kissed just to the right of Loki's mouth and pulled away with a triumphant smile. "My place or yours?"

"Yours. I don't have enough space for everyone at mine."

"You bring the sparkling juices and ciders then. No alcohol. Makes for bad parties in the longer run."

Casual as it sounded on the surface, Loki could hear the steel in the request and know there was a story waiting behind it. Some day, maybe. They had a long time to learn more of each other. Of that, Loki was more than certain.


	4. Team Loki

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meet the team, part two!

Bucky couldn’t say he _wasn't_ worried, nor could he admit to Loki that he was. What started as a joke to pass the time and appreciate an attractive man, became Loki's dating said hottie and moving pretty fast with it too. Barely a week after meeting and after only a handful of normal dates, Loki was being invited to meet Tony's friends. Another date later, Loki was inviting his friends to meet Tony. Considering the three of them were the closest thing Loki had to a family he still kept in touch with, it seemed like rushing, and Bucky was trying to figure out if there was a particular reason for it that he should know about. 

The four of them - Clint, Natasha, Bucky, and Loki - had spent Christmas Day together, lazing around Clint's apartment and throwing crumpled wrapping paper at each other before changing into pajama pants and playing video games in between eating reheated leftovers. Bucky hadn't had the time to bring up the topic with Loki then, and Loki mentioned Tony just a few times over the course of the day, occasionally texting him maybe a half dozen times the whole day, but Loki otherwise didn't overly gush and kept the day about enjoying time with friends. Bucky should have been happy with that, but he was still second-guessing his friend's boyfriend. 

Call it a protective instinct, but Loki damn sure needed it with the shit he had been through. 

"Bets are in," Clint started, "how much of this Tony guy has been him playing it up for Loki's tweets?"

"Loki's being mum about it." Natasha said. "My threats didn't even convince him to fess up. I'm very disappointed." 

"He said he wanted us to get to know Tony ourselves instead of telling us what to think." Bucky gave another glance towards the door as the trio waited at the restaurant's front lobby. Tony and Loki arranged to meet them here, but it was a cold, busy day, and everything was running late. Including the happy couple. "He says while he and Tony post ridiculous updates on their Twitter feeds and give non-committal replies to questions."

"Why do I get the feeling Tony is really just as much of a shit as Loki is?" Clint groused for but a moment before said pair came into sight, stepping out of a yellow taxi cab and onto the sidewalk. 

They were both bundled up, cheeks rosy and grins wide as they dashed up to the front door, and Tony ducked under Loki's arm as he held the door open. Tony _had_ to duck considering he was wearing bright red, novelty reindeer antlers. The beau didn't look much different from the couple of pictures he and Loki had posted of themselves, but the way he shifted around spoke of nerves as much as excitement even if he mostly managed to hide any other body language indicators. Someone practiced their self-presentation well... Though Bucky couldn't assume that as an incriminating trait. 

"Bucky, hey." As he spotted each of his friends, Loki's arm naturally folded behind Tony and to the small of his back before he ushered them both forward and started the introductions. "Tony, these are my friends Bucky, Natasha, and Clint. Everyone, this is Tony." 

Bucky noted that Loki explicitly didn't assign Tony a specific title yet. Interesting. 

"Pleasure to meet you." Tony stepped up and shook each of their hands firmly after he took off his gloves. "Nice to put faces to various names."

"We've heard many cryptic things about you." Clint greeted, and Tony gave a guilty smirk. 

"Yeah, I might have encouraged that. Sorry." 

"Sorry" wasn't what the light in his eyes said. However, Bucky felt a little more confident in what attracted the couple to each other now. 

The hostess offered to take them to their table, and Loki gestured Tony forward as Clint and Natasha did the same. Clint immediately complimented the antlers to Tony's amusement and Natasha's eye roll. 

"That better not be sarcasm. These are fantastic. Catch everyone's eye with 'em." 

"Oh, they're great," Natasha added. "With those, you can cheat being taller than Loki." 

"Why do you think I wear them? I am nothing but a walking optical illusion." 

That set off a few surprised chuckles between the three as Bucky and Loki hung back and watched. 

"So he's nice?" Bucky asked bluntly, and Loki gave him a completely unsurprised look. 

"Yes, he's lovely. You know I wouldn't make do with anyone less nowadays." 

"And it's not going too fast? Dating and meeting friends?" 

He gave a small sigh but played along and answered the questions. "No, it feels right. Plane flights are a great time to get to know someone, actually. And we've been on normal dates since we got back too. We're actually quite compatible." He laughed slightly. "As much as there are some things we have a widely varied opinion on." 

Loki put a hand on Bucky's shoulder as they reached their table. "I promise, Bucky, it's not anything close to what you're worried it is."

Clint and Natasha quickly flanked the chairs on either side of Tony, leaving Loki sitting on the other side of Natasha and Bucky between Clint and Loki. It looked natural, but Bucky and Natasha had set it up to try and talk to each side of couple and figure out what exactly was the real deal. Maybe it was a bit much, but even Natasha had agreed to wanting to make sure the relationship that was started at a time when Loki was - to put it mildly - vulnerable and stressed and understandably susceptible to latching on to anything that looked good on the surface was not a relationship that was going to turn on its head and become the opposite of the balm that it was at the beginning. 

Loki took the seat that was available to him, but he did it cautiously, watching Clint and Natasha as they continued to carry on with Tony. Less than fifteen seconds later, Loki rounded on Bucky with a glare. 

" _James Buchanan Barnes, what the fuck do you think you're doing?_ " He hissed, too low for the others to hear, but he made damn sure Bucky could understand perfectly well. 

"I'm sitting with you." 

"Cut the crap, Bucky." 

"You said you wanted us to get to know him ourselves." Bucky defended, but Loki's glare didn't waver. 

"So you're cornering him." 

"They're getting to know him." 

" _Cornering him._ " Loki repeated, and Bucky changed his approach. 

"I'm giving you a chance to talk to me about him while they talk to him. We're not trying to separate you; we're just... curious." He nodded to Tony discreetly. "Does he look stressed at the change?" 

On the contrary, Tony had just curled over with giggles while Natasha was turned into her own shaking shoulders and Clint's barely visible but reddened face was in his hands. Tony didn't look like he was the only one enjoying himself. Should be an interesting debriefing after lunch. 

"Fine." Loki huffed unhappily. "But don't make me doubt my trust in you, James." 

And any time Loki used Bucky's name like that was a time he took very seriously. "Cross my heart." 

It took a solid twenty minutes for Loki to relax, and most of that was spent watching everything and faking easiness as he tried to gauge how well things were going. Once he seemed assured enough that Tony was fine and that his friends were behaving themselves, Loki loosened up and got more into the spirit of a lighter-hearted meeting. Tony would draw Loki into debates between Natasha and Clint, Loki would ask Tony questions while in conversation with Bucky, and though it took halfway through the meal for it to happen, they finally hit their stride. 

Bucky kept an eye on how the couple talked to each other, but it didn't take a pro to read the signs. Maybe it was only a few dates, but there was no small amount of affection in the looks Tony and Loki flashed between each other.

One particular moment, Tony was in a discussion with Natasha and Clint over the antler again and Natasha was recommending he needed _more_ decoration on them when Loki heaved a small sigh beside Bucky. 

"Look at the adorable idiot I'm dating." Loki said, deadpan, and Bucky was slightly taken aback by the warring affection and insult in one phrase. "But an idiot with three master's degrees." 

" _Three_ degrees?" The man that was discussing how many ornaments were too tacky and if he could have fake piercings on the ears too? This was the man that had three master's degrees?

"The stuff he does as a hobby involve things I thought were theories. He's a mechanical engineer."

The opportunity was too much to resist. "Oh, so he's good with his hands." 

Loki turned a helpless look to Bucky. "Believe me, I have thought of that too much." His eyes narrowed. "And he's encouraged all of them." 

Thought? Only thought? "But you haven't... explored _that_ yet?"

"We've known each other a week." Loki defended as he glanced back to Tony for a moment. "We've been on three flights together and less than a half dozen dates. No, we haven't had sex. Kissing, yes, but not sex." He cocked his head to the side with a considering hum. "Yet." 

"Sounds like you're looking to change that soon." 

"He's not short on flirts." Dragging his eyes away from Tony, Loki pushed a few more bites around on his plate. "He wouldn't be difficult to convince. I'd likely only have to ask." 

"But?"

"But..." The tiny smile that curled Loki's lips was adorable. "I kind of like this. _Dating_. Pretending like we're already engaged and committed and just enjoying getting to know each other like it isn't a race to the finish line. He always calls me his fiancé and introduces me as the same with the straightest and most daring face I've ever seen. And his friends take it in stride like it's normal. I think it _is_ normal for Tony." 

Bucky watched Loki making nonsensical patterns in his mashed potatoes and couldn't resist his own smile. "Loki, I do believe you're smitten." 

Loki snorted but didn't deny it as put down his fork. "I am, aren't I? Irreversibly."

"If it helps, it's looking and sounding like he is too."

The satisfied grin Loki shot Bucky said enough. "I know." 

Once they had all finished, paid, and filed back out onto the sidewalk to say their goodbyes, Bucky watched Tony and Loki's cab disappear from view down the street before he turned back to the other two. 

"So. Verdict?"

"That boy's not going anywhere." Natasha stated with perfect confidence.

"And?"

"And nothing." Clint said as he started to search out a cab for himself and Natasha. "Tony is nice, but he's hiding something." 

"Annnnd you have any idea what he could be hiding?"

"Yeah." He turned back to Bucky fleetingly. "That he's just as much of a prankster asshole as Loki is. We should all be afraid." 

"Seconded." Natasha raised her hand just as Clint got a cab to pull over to the curb. "So take that as you like, but I'm going home and picking out an outfit for their engagement party on Saturday." 

"Wait." He followed the pair as they tried to make a dash away. "What engagement party?!"


	5. New Year

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time for the party! Team Loki, meet Team Stark.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It was supposed to go up on New Year's Eve. Then New Year's Day. Then maybe Chinese New Year's. And I didn't make any of those dates. Dx SO ENJOY YOUR NEW YEARS CHAPTER IN THE BEGINNING OF APRIL.

It was nice when Bucky's skepticism was proven unnecessary. The happy couple invited everyone to arrive between nine and ten at night to the "engagement party" at Tony's house, and Bucky had an odd thought that it would be all mandatory mingling and lots of formal "so and so, meet so and so" even when damn well knowing that Loki grew up with and despised those kinds of get-togethers. Yet Bucky was still pleasantly surprised that the party was a _party._

The casual kind where no one had to get drunk and do something stupid for there to be actual highlights of the evening, where there wasn't even any alcohol to begin with, and where people sat where they liked on mismatched sofas and chairs that were arranged around three different gaming consoles and televisions to provide entertainment via competition. There were assorted snacks and finger foods in the kitchenette that Loki and Tony proudly claimed they made at least half of, and after everyone picked through what they wanted as they wanted, the sofas were the next stop. Bucky recognized Loki's TV and xbox (the picture had a crack in the corner from when they dropped it during a move, and the xbox had stickers on it) facing one cluster of chairs, alongside seating arrangements each for a two Wii units that Bucky guessed were either Tony's or similarly borrowed from friends as well. 

Natasha was already in front of the xbox, playing Halo and actually looking like she was having to work for it with the man that introduced himself briefly as Rhodey before going back to trying to keep from getting killed. Loki, Clint, and Tony were racing each other in Mario Kart, and a friend of Tony's, - Bruce, he said his name was - watched and teased the competition from a spare chair. The last place left was a loveseat in front of the other Wii, where a mildly familiar man sat.

Pictures didn't quite do him justice. Of _course_ the last place was beside the cute friend of Tony's that Loki had been sending Bucky pictures of for two days. 

"Mind if I sit?" Bucky gestured to the space, and Steve nodded and even scooted over to give Bucky a bit more room. "Steve, right?"

"Yeah." His grin was slightly lopsided and charmingly boyish, and Bucky was starkly remembering Loki's choice of words in pegging Steve as looking like a classic boy next door. "You're Bucky?"

"My reputation precedes me." Bucky took up the space and already found himself angling towards Steve without even thinking about it.

"Pictures preceded you, actually." Steve confessed.

"Pictures?" It clicked in his head, and Bucky slouched. "Those assholes set us up, didn't they?"

Exhaling a sharp breath almost like a laugh, Steve's sights drifted back to his own knees as he gave a one-shouldered shrug. "I wondered why no one else would sit beside me tonight." It was discreet, but Bucky didn't miss the quick head-to-toe once-over that Steve gave him. Not licentious, just... checking out. "I'm fine with it though, actually."

Well, Loki wasn't exaggerating about Steve being honest. "Me too."

"Good." The same smile that looked gentle moments earlier had gained more of a considering edge. He nodded to the TV and console first though. "Want to-?"

"Sure."

Steve stood and rooted through the console games that were stacked in front of the set, and offered a handful for Bucky to pick from. Once Steve put the disc in and grabbed a pair of controllers, he settled back into the seat beside Bucky and flicked through the menus.

"So," Bucky started during one loading screen, "which camera sex photo did you get?"

Those soft blue eyes flicked up to Bucky's again, and Steve smirked like the memory was a pleasant one. "Diner modeling shot. And I think the other was from stage acting? You were shirtless was about what I was supposed to get out of it." Of fucking course. "You?"

"Comparable. Pride parade."

Groaning, Steve dropped against the sofa back ."Well, that's mildly embarrassing. Glad I thought to wax beforehand." His brows pulled together with a bit more concern. "Tony didn't forward the school age ones, did he?"

"School age? Like kid shots?"

"No, college age. You would know the ones."

"The truckstop hooker shots, no. That's for later." Tony butted in for a split second before shouting curses at his own TV when Loki had taken advantage of his distraction and thrown a blue shell right in front of Tony's cart.

Steve heaved a sigh and shook his head. "What happens in art school, never stays in art school."

"With descriptions like that, I'm glad they didn't."

And there was another of those bashful grins before he shook his head with a muttered "fuck it, do over" and dropped the controllers between them on the sofa cushions as he pivoted towards Bucky. He held out a hand. "Indecent and intriguing pictures aside, let's start over. Steve Rogers."

"James Barnes. Bucky."

"Nice meeting you."

And it was extremely nice to meet Steve. Maybe Bucky wouldn't punch Loki in the shoulder later after all. 

**xXx**

_"Ten! Nine! Eight!"_

Everyone was on their feet, some with glasses raised for the final countdown on the middle TV screen where they watched the ball slowly descend. Loki's spare hand had found Tony's waist almost immediately when they stood, tugging him in closely, and Tony didn't resist for a second. 

_"Seven! Six! Five!"_

C'mon, it was _New Year's Eve_ , and Tony had a clever, smoking hot boyfriend, and he'd planned accordingly on celebrating it if Loki was as game to the idea as Tony was. Tony even made sure to wear his highest hidden wedge sneakers to make the New Year's kiss easier, but given that Loki was a freaking viking giant of a man, it still took mutual stretching up/leaning down to meet in the middle. If Tony was being honest though, he really kind of loved the height difference. But a kiss at midnight was just a part of the plan. He just had to open up and _ask_ Loki first, and that was hard when surrounded by their friends. But by god, he knew where he was going to start. 

_"Four! Three! Two!"_

He didn't need to look at the screen for the last numbers, and when he twisted his head up to meet Loki's own hopeful and expectant gaze, Loki looked to have the same idea. _Don't worry, I haven't forgotten you._

"One! Happy new year!" 

Tony pressed up on his toes to catch Loki's lips in a safe-for-public kiss, just this side of decent but no innocent little thing. Loki's fingers were slightly cool where he moved his hand up to curl behind Tony's shoulder and cradle Tony's head just behind his ear, Loki's lips soft and sweet and like they were made for Tony's. Getting carried away with it in another moment could have been very easy if it weren't for Clint's wolf whistle, and Loki's laugh broke their lips apart, but he quickly shifted his hand between them to tip Tony's chin back up for one more short kiss before turning back to their friends. 

Toasts followed around the room, and a couple light jibs about the kiss that faded for Mario Kart rematch challenges instead. And there was no such possibility as having a single rematch game. It had to be a cup race, and there had to be arguments of which race and why one over another, debates that lasted almost as long as the game itself once they got to it. Since Tony wasn't involved in the matches, he mostly sat back and made commentary with Natasha as his nerves skyrocketed the longer the night continued. 

No matter how much Tony started to think he had Loki's number, Loki still remained a being of chaos and unpredictability that caught Tony off guard and never stopped entrancing him. That was how it started, why would it stop now? From moment one, Loki was strikingly attractive across the packed airport terminal, running his fingers through slightly overlong hair as he typed on his phone, and again as he smiled when Tony caught Loki's eye at the back of the queue for coffee. The rebuffed attempt at conversation could have ended it all, and Tony had begrudgingly accepted that until, when searching for updates on the airline's social media, he followed a curious response to a stranger's friend and the saga that came with it. Even now, Loki opened up only slightly more than he did at the start. There was always the chance for Tony's assumptions of the depth of Loki's interest to be wrong. Tony was just praying to all the deities whose names he knew that he wasn't wrong tonight. 

By one am, most had ceded to defeat or remained champions and were ready to head home. Each group of friends were gathering their coats, scarves, and hats, and starting to bundle up to brave the weather outside. Everyone but Clint and Natasha has come separately, but Rhodey and Bucky had cars and were providing return trips for the others. Loki was supposed to leave with Bucky, but Loki couldn't find his scarf and wasn't going out into the cold until he was ready. Finally, Tony just agreed he would take Loki home himself once it was discovered. 

"Have a safe trip!"

"Don't head out too late, Loki." Natasha called from the door.

"I'll take care of him," Tony assured.

"And I'm not going out in that weather without my scarf." Loki looked between the table and the back of the sofa again to no more success than the previous four times he checked.

Once the front door shut, Tony took a deep breath and crossed the room to a small side table by the bedroom door. 

"Looking for this?"

Tony pulled Loki's scarf halfway out of the shallow drawer he had covertly stashed it in a few hours earlier. Loki didn't even take two seconds to figure that out as he looked from table to scarf to Tony before shaking his head with an incredulous exhaled laugh. Loki met Tony halfway across the room, but instead of taking the scarf away, Loki took Tony's hand through the silky material and held him fast. "Trying to catch me alone?" 

"Of course." Tony drew the other end into his other hand and tossed the loop over the back of Loki's neck. Easy leverage to pull Loki into another kiss that held none of the restraint of their midnight kiss. They moved together with abandon, still as gentle as a caress but full of the heat that lingered in their every intimate moment. One of Loki's hand naturally slipped to Tony's waist, his fingers curled in the fabric of his shirt, the other hand still holding his head delicately while Tony flattened both palms to Loki's chest. Loki nipped at Tony's lower lip, shifting to hold him closer, only to let their lips part. 

"Stay the night?" Tony said into the small distance between them before Loki could move any further. All day long, Tony had been thinking on how he would ask, and he wasn't going to fall short now. 

"On the sofa?" Loki's mouth curled with his tease. 

"On the _floor_ if you don't play your cards right." 

_If you want to say no, just say no and spare me, please._

"Oh, I'm sure I would inevitably find a way to barter your favor back. I can be very good." He brushed their lips across each other. "Or very bad." 

Tony managed a slightly anxious laugh, steeling his nerves as he met Loki's eyes. Just ask, he had to just ask, either answer would be fine, but Tony had to hear yes or no. "Stay the night?" He repeated, softer. 

Finally, Loki nodded. " _Yes._ " Tony felt his own pulse quicken against Loki's fingers, and the darkly delighted twist of Loki's smile said he felt it too. "I guess I won't need my scarf anymore."

Hmm. Or... "I don't know." Tony flipped the loop over the back of his own head and neck instead and wound the ends around his wrists with a couple turns. "Depends on how you want me." 

Oooo. He hadn't seen Loki's eyes go that dark before. _Gorgeous_. "Tony, dear, I want you any and every way you'll let me."

"Oh, I'll let you have a lot. So make your first offer."

Grinning like a mad man, Loki pulled Tony sharply closer and drew him into a kiss that nearly knocked Tony's metaphorical socks off. Holding Tony crushed so tightly to Loki's body that Tony was practically on his toes, Loki kissed like he was trying to own Tony, and Tony was very much willing to let him. It wasn't lewd; it was... god, it was _possessive._ All the restraint Loki had shown before, all the times they held themselves back from getting too carried away because it "wasn't the time" then, it was all thrown out the window for all the _eager_ Tony could dream of. And for every inch Loki stole, Tony stole right back and made his effects on Loki just as much as Loki affected him.

_Oh, if this is anything close to what I'm thinking it will be, I'm never letting him go._

It wasn't the first time he had such thoughts, and it wouldn't be the last. If Tony had his way, Loki would be around for a lot longer. He just had to set about _making his mark_ first.

Tony slipped his hands under the shoulders of Loki's coat and rolled it back as much as he could until Loki broke the embrace with a single parting kiss. He pulled his own coat off and tossed it over the back of the sofa before quickly rejoining Tony and giving the belt loops of his jeans little tugs forward as Loki took small steps backwards. 

"Are you going to take me to your bedroom, or do I have to do all the work?"

"Don't make me rethink that idea for leaving you on the floor instead."

"I'll endure the rug burn if you will."

Tony groaned and dropped his head to the curve of Loki's shoulder, shaking from laughter. " _Why_ did you give me that mental image, shit, we need to do that some time too. Maybe without rug burn."

"I meant 'any and every way' with few exceptions."

"So I can tell." Tony drew back and kissed Loki once more, softly, as he took Loki's hand and started to walk him towards the partially open bedroom door. "C'mon. Let me show you how I like to celebrate the new year." 

What better way to start it off than sharing the night with a new lover? 

"Are you going to take your platform trainers off so I can kiss my tiny boyfriend?"

"Sure, I can put my shoe in your mouth instead, you fucking menace."

Maybe just occupy Loki's mouth other ways. Loki had managed to remain unaware of Tony's past and all the skills he picked up in his wild youth; it was time to fix that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And for your viewing pleasure, a couple of the photos mentioned~ Alas, Steve or Chris Evans in a bi pride flag does not currently exist. But we can continue to hope. 
> 
>  
> 
> [Bucky's diner modeling shot ](https://secure.static.tumblr.com/5e506fd42cde374c0017609af5e3d385/evmmkom/DW2olefja/tumblr_static_filename_640_v2.jpg)
> 
>  
> 
> [Bucky's shirtless theater shot](http://static.socialitelife.com/uploads/2016/03/24/shirtless-sebastian-stan-580x435.jpg) (NSFW)
> 
> Steve's truckstop hooker shots: [here](http://halcyonfrost.tumblr.com/post/95693414348/fandom-alert-weewinchesterbeastie) or [here](http://halcyonfrost.tumblr.com/post/104216018945/dirtysouthavenger-joomju-chaneladdict) (NSFW)


	6. Meet the Mother

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony wants Loki to meet Maria.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> dls mentioned re-reading this fic a lot, so I thought I'd give them another chapter to read. ;P I finished it, and didn't have enough of other finished fics to post up a proper batch like usual, but I couldn't resist and figured y'all wouldn't mind a single surprise update, hehe.
> 
> Have some Maria and some feels!
> 
>  **UPDATE:** the posting date was oddly fucked, so if this shows up in your subscription feed again, apologies, but it's the same chapter as before. I've fixed the date to show when it was _actually_ posted instead of when the first chapter was posted in December. Oddities abound. :/ Just a couple chapters more to go~

By the end of February, Tony asked if Loki would like to meet Tony's mother. Loki nervously accepted, and the result of meeting Maria Stark in her home for dinner was... different. Tony's friends were welcoming and teasing for the most part, but Maria was intense.

Maria Stark lived in a _very_ nice apartment, and when Loki gawked on arrival, Tony just grinned and cryptically said that his father wasn't the only one Tony got his smarts from. From moment one, Loki recognized Tony's eyes as Maria's - bright and warm when looking to a loved one before turning to a piercing heat when scrutinizing a stranger. And they scrutinized Loki until he felt very tiny. She spoke perfect English with a beautiful accent that Loki was charmed to hear Tony fall into in his mother's presence, and mother and son both frequently dotted foreign terms of endearment throughout. It was the kind of cozy, bonding that Loki missed with his own mother, but as much as Maria reminded Loki of Frigga, Loki actually found himself craving Maria's attention more, not just because of Tony, but because Maria was the kind of engaging that held no strings or the occasional reproach that Frigga had fallen into the habit of using. Tony was very much Maria's son, and Loki adored it. 

She asked after Loki's work, what kind of stories he wrote, which ones were published, what his favorite aspect was of each one, and what drew him to penning it, and for the first half hour, Loki might have hesitantly said it was going well. Her conversation was pleasant in Tony's company, and Tony was free and easy in what he said.

Then Tony left the room for a moment.

"Tony tells me that you two met in a... very untraditional manner."

"Yes, we did." _Tony, what exactly did you tell her._ "But I think the untraditional worked well for us." He grabbed for his drink to quench his sudden dry throat while hoping Tony would make it back from the bathroom soon despite having barely been away for fifteen seconds.

"How genuine is your proposal to my son then?"

Loki choked on his water. "Excuse me?"

"I know it was a joke." She dismissed with a tight smile that didn't reach her eyes. "But if you're as astute as Tony thinks you are, you can tell my son is very... quick to devotion. Sometimes with the wrong people. I hope you're not the wrong person, Loki."

Anyone else, and Loki would have snapped back a cutting retort, but he couldn't do that now. He understood her concern as much as he still felt offense for it, but Maria's tone was practically inviting a sharper response that Loki managed to hold back out of sheer force of will. Saying what he immediately thought to snap back, would effectively ruin the night and likely Tony and Loki's relationship along with it. So Loki had to bite his tongue and play calm. "Tony loves easily; it's a flaw as much as a strength. I can't say I know who in his past has used that against him, but I promise I'm not the type to do so. I really like your son. And hard as it is to trust someone so soon, I hope you can tell I'm not the kind of person that wants or intends to hurt him."

"Maybe you aren't. But that doesn't mean you won't." They could hear bathroom door open down the hall, and Maria straightened her back but lowered her voice, " _I_ may be dubious, but-" at the sound of footsteps approaching, she pitched her voice back normal tone, "it's very obvious that my son likes you too." Said like "and it's a damn shame he does" even if those words didn't make it.

" _Mom._ " Tony bemoaned. "Don't rat my feelings out to my fiancé."

"I would hope your _fiancé_ would be well aware of your feelings by now." She returned, smiling easily with Tony back in the room.

The rest of the night continued much the same and dashed most of Loki's hope of winning over Tony's mother. She watched Loki like a hawk every moment he noticed her, which was very often. By the time they headed out, Loki felt drained, to say the least. Drained and more than a little lost for response. Maria bid him goodbye with as much geniality as she did Tony, but Loki had the sinking terror that it was for show.

For the next four days, he ran the night over in his head again and again, thinking of better things he could have said, different ways to react, anything that _might_ have allowed Maria to realize she could let the fuck up, but in Loki's brain, it went so badly that even his fantasies couldn't come up with a scenario so unrealistic as Maria liking him. Worse yet, Tony didn't seem to notice, and somehow, that frustrated and angered Loki even more.

Tony invited Loki over for dinner at his place later that week, just the two of them again, and Loki mentally rehearsed how to broach the subject, how to say "you know your mother hates me, right?" and how to then follow it with "so what's this going to do for our relationship considering that you adore your mother and she adores you?" Neither of which were conversations Loki was looking forward to delving into, but they seemed rather necessary.

The door was unlocked when Loki got there, and Tony's music was barely below the volume to hear in the next three units around him. When greeted with the sight of Tony at the kitchen counter, his hips moving to the beat, it was kind of hard to start off with a serious conversation, and Loki’s resolve to mention it tonight started to dissolve. Oblivious to Loki's inner turmoil, Tony only greeted Loki with a kiss and pulled him into the kitchen area to help with cooking.

Loki started chopping vegetables while Tony was consulting the recipe on his tablet propped up in a cookbook stand, idly chatting about life and their day at work, quaint and wonderful and domestic and everything Loki craved in a relationship that he'd never before dared to look for. He had to say something. And so Loki tentatively started the topic.

"I don't think your mother likes me."

Tony's face pulled into a contortion of confusion as he paused. "Where did that idea come from?"

Where? _Where?_ Why didn't _Tony_ realize it?! "Maybe because she spent most of the visit and every moment I was alone with her, questioning me like I was threatening you bodily harm?"

Tony exhaled a short breath with an infuriating half-smile as he dusted his hands off on his pants. Turning to face his boyfriend, he clapped his hands to Loki's shoulders. "Loki, she texted me for an hour after we left that night."

Loki's chest hollowed even more. "Telling you to find someone else?"

"More like telling me what a good sport you were and how cute we were together. She spent twenty minutes on the phone with me this morning, saying I better not let you go because - and I'm quoting word for word here - you're a 'lovely catch.' I don't think you have anything to worry about."

Tony started to turn back to the recipe, but Loki persisted. "But she was so..."

"Intimidating? Yeah, that's Mom." And he said in the way that betrayed what a _complete mama's boy_ he was. "She's got to be a tough bad ass to run a company."

"I suppose-" Wait. Hang on. "What company?"

Tony froze like he was caught, and his smile was sheepish when he glanced back. "Did I forget to mention?"

Loki put down the knife before he was tempted to use it. "Mention _what_ , Tony?"

"Mom kind of runs Dad's old start up? She tore apart and redesigned it when he died, of course, but yeah, she runs it now."

"What company?"

He took a deep breath in and a shaky exhale out as he pulled a couple spices out of the cupboard. "Stark Industries?"

"Stark Indus-"

"Yep." Tony took over when Loki stuttered and stopped in recognition of the name.

"Don't they own... something like, five other companies and enterprises? At least?"

"Diversification is the key to success." Tony seemed determined to just keep working on supper like Loki was going to drop the subject, but obviously he didn't know Loki well enough if Tony thought that.

"So you're, what, heir to the throne?"

"Um, huge and resounding no. It's Mom's company now, and when she passes the baton, it's going to her VP. I don't want that mantel."

"But it's still part of your family."

"Well, yeah, I'm still on the board, so I get shares and stuff."

Shares of a company that size... "Do I want to know how much that's worth?"

"Is 'our great-grandkids would still be loaded' descriptive enough for you?"

Loki's knees felt insufficient to support him, and his chest was tighter than it should have been when he wasn't wearing anything fitted. "And you're suddenly telling me this _now_?!" He knew his voice was getting too loud, and he could see the telltale hunch and tension of Tony's shoulders as he got to defending himself.

The garlic salt jar clacked threateningly on the stone counter when Tony set it down a bit too hard. "Because opening with 'I have money' is a very bad idea and very shitty things and fucked up relationships come of it. Believe me, I tried it a few or eight dozen times."

Loki's fury stuttered to a halt, and Tony deflated in the silence like just saying that took too much out of him, but he still wouldn't look Loki in the eye.

"You and I, we're playing the engaged card, and I like that. I really like _you_. I didn't want to be constantly questioning if you were sticking around for money and not trusting you even if you said you weren't. I don't want you to be another name I have to drink to forget when you decide I'm not worth it."

"So when you said you had a reckless youth..." It was mentioned cryptically once or twice, but Loki hadn't pressed since Tony hadn't seemed ready to confess it. He didn’t seem ready now either, but trying to drop the subject this far in was not going to go well. 

Sighing, Tony abandoned his distracted attempts at cooking and turned to lean his lower back against the counter. Loki mirrored him and waited the long seconds it took for Tony to form words again. "When Dad died, I... acted out. Not that I was terribly well-adjusted in the first place considering I had Howard as a father, but him dying really... I guess you could say I had a funny way of not saying I was mourning."

"So you acted out." Loki repeated, then clarified: "With others."

"Found out that people in clubs didn't have to know your name to enjoy sharing my money and a bed. And along the way, I also found hard liquor got rid of inhibitions and feeling better and faster than beer did."

Loki could see where this was going, but he wasn't sure he wanted to believe it. Unfortunately, the distant, glazed over look in Tony's eyes was all too easy to read and impossible to fake.

After several more oppressingly quiet and long moments, Tony released a bitter scoff and finally looked Loki in the eye. Loki wasn't sure if it was better or worse to see the expression head on. "You know, it's actually kind of fun being a playboy at first. If you're okay without having any kind of emotional attachment to anyone. The second you do?" He glanced away. "Yeah. Yeah, that's when it starts to kill you. When the drinks aren't just because you can pay any bartender to look the other way on limits, but because if you don’t drown in liquor until you're numb, you might actually realize you can't feel anything but emptiness anyway. Better to blame it on the drink than look at yourself."

Finally, Tony stirred to life and fidgeted as he turned back to the counter and started shifting the spice bottles aimlessly around the counter. "I've made a lot of bad decisions, and it's taken a lot of wrecked relationships, threats, and skipped rehab vacations before I realized what the hell I'd done to myself. So I cleaned up for good, stepped away from any chance at a spotlight, and I've never opened a bottle or told a date my bank account balance ever since." He shrugged, a little too stiff and fake nonchalance that further conveyed just how casual it wasn't. "Of course, you're probably only the third person I've had a fifth date with since then, let alone gotten this far. Definitely the first time I've been engaged."

Loki gently stopped one of Tony's restless hands and held it still. Tony's body still twitched, waiting for a response to pouring his heart on a subject that likely would drive lesser people away with the weight of the confession. While Loki couldn't say he had been through all that Tony had, Loki was still an abandoned babe raised by a family that degraded his creative interests more often than not, leaving Loki with nothing more than a gratitude to be estranged from them and too many years' worth of psychological scars and lasting mental health issues. He didn't need to have experienced exactly what Tony did to understand it at least somewhat. Enough to know how it affected the way Loki saw Tony.

"Knowing your struggles in the past doesn't change how I feel for you, you know." Loki said perfectly honestly. "I like you. I have from moment one. Knowing you survived all you have, I think _better_ of you, not less. And as for the money," Tony's gaze nervously flicked to Loki's, "When I was younger and still around my own well-off family, I dated heirs and trust fund kids. Their ability to flash their cash didn't do anything to help a rotten personality. I like _you_ , Tony. And whether we live like princes or paupers, at the end of the day, _you_ are what's going to keep me." He grinned a bit. "I don't skip out on my engagements."

Tony released a breath like he'd been holding it the whole time and smiled tightly. "Um, can I get that in writing?"

"I'd prefer to show it with that ring I've been promising you."

"You do still owe me one."

"I know. _I do_." Empathizing the words just to get a slightly lighter laugh out of Tony, Loki ran his fingers through Tony's hair and leaned in to kiss his temple affectionately. "Let's finish dinner, shall we? I'm saving the ring for a special occasion."

It hadn't even been two months since they met, and they hadn't even said they loved each other yet, nor gotten to the point they truly felt those words without question, but... somehow, in the depths of his heart, by way of some visceral and soul-deep knowledge, Loki knew Tony would have Loki's ring on his finger some day. Before Loki knew anything else for sure in this relationship, he could always see having Tony by his side years down the line.

As much as he joked about getting Tony a ring, even if the time for doing so wasn't close at hand, Loki was sure it was in a future with Tony that Loki eagerly awaited.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'm conflicted because I had this idea from somewhere that Tony's mum was Italian, and I imagined her looking like the gorgeous Isabella Rossellini ([younger](https://c1.staticflickr.com/6/5745/23637275651_df7da30ace_b.jpg) or [older](http://medias.unifrance.org/medias/9/158/105993/format_page/media.jpg), she's always [stunning](http://images5.fanpop.com/image/photos/25200000/Isabella-Rossellini-isabella-rossellini-25228567-1600-1200.jpg)), but when I started looking up the various canon surnames, Carbonell and Cerrera, they're both Spanish. SO. I'm not sure if Maria was supposed to be Spanish or Italian? 
> 
> I know she has a canon actress now and all, but the lady that played her in Civil War makes me cringe. Mostly because another role of hers, she was creepy as fuck and disturbing, and I cannot un-see that when I like a loving, strong Maria Stark. D: So whichever face cast headcanon you want to go for, go for it, and I will sit here happy with my Rossellini!Maria mental image. x3
> 
> And for those of you wondering, Maria _does_ show up again in the chapter after this next one, and she's much nicer. She just a very protective mama right now. :P


	7. Moving On Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time to step up the game and move forward!

Two weeks and the grousing had only grown more frequent.

Tony's flat lease was up at the end of the month, and an unfortunate, ahem, _conflict_ with management meant that he couldn't renew. Even more unfortunately for Tony, flat hunting in New York was _hell_.

Tony had been texting Loki updates of the process - mostly giving scathing commentary on the places he was being shown - and had bridged to pleading demands that Loki show pity and help.

 _Hey, you,_ Loki's phone buzzed and the text hovered on his lock screen, _you free Saturday?_ came next. Loki unlocked his phone and pulled up his messages just in time for the next one - _You should come apartment hunting with me._

Ha! Unlikely. He did have his limits.

 _You know how much I love you,_ Loki wrote back, _but I'm not sure it's that much._

 _Deserter._ Tony sent, and Loki could hear the petulance in a single word.

Seven months had come and gone since they met happenstance in a crowded Midwestern airport and started up a whirlwind relationship moving at breakneck speed, refusing to adhere to conventional relationship standards of bridging milestones gradually. It was only the past month that they'd finally settled into something warm and comfortable and less constant daring to do and be more. They hadn't lost the spark, but it had calmed into a lasting heat and easy contentment in each other's company that Loki never stopped craving. He craved even the quiet around Tony as even when they were mute, Tony had an aura of life that gave Loki peace.

Towards the middle, they'd had their phases - the "nitty gritty, confronting flaws" stage, as Natasha called it, and at times, their equally strong personalities clashed in an ugly match. Whereas Loki's anger was verbal lashing, confrontational, and loud (bad habits he'd assumed from his childhood home), Tony's by comparison was defensive and cutting from the first word. He was a "deflect, drudge up barely relevant things, and defend" type of anger, always non-physical and even avoiding raising his voice if he could help it, and Tony's perceptiveness could also be used in rather well-aimed barbs that Loki was not as fond of hearing. But through their annoyances in discovering not always pleasant quirks, it never changed that, within a few days, any lingering irritation was not enough to outweigh affection. They learned when to talk about it then and when to give each other space and talk after, and the confrontations smoothed out and dissipated as they not only learned each other, but learned how to work with each other.

It was something that, in the majority of Loki's past relationships, both platonic and romantic, he'd never weathered the rough waters long enough to reach the calmer seas. It was how he'd managed the small group of friends he did still have and so rarely gained others that he cared for enough at the start to get past the difficult stages later. The success was refreshing and had led the way into their current patch of heady satisfaction.

Another insistent buzz from his phone, and Loki paused at the end of writing his thought before he opened his phone again.

 _You can help me pick out some place classy that you don't mind sleeping over at._ Tony insisted. _Alternately, you could move in with me, and we could afford the way better places._

Loki snorted and typed back: _what the fuck kind of proposal is that, try again, peasant_

_At least one of us is proposing. I've been hearing this ring talk for months, and yet my finger is still tragically bare. ;P_

_You're testing your luck there, little bean._ And yet despite the threat, Loki was smiling at his phone.

Tony only sent back two characters: _;P_ and then went off for another several quiet minutes.

It still a constant joke between them, and as far as they had come, as much joy as they took in calling each other their fiancé, engagement wasn't a serious thing yet. And neither was moving in together. How could it be?

True, they did spend at least four nights a week at one or the other of each other's flats, and most of the time it was more because they ended up hanging out too long watching a movie and had already fallen asleep on each other on the couch, but they hadn't even talked about moving in together before, and that was usually a requirement before a casual invite over text, right? Right. So no. It was just a tease. And yet... No. No, just a tease. So Loki didn't need to stop and think if he wanted it to be real or not and what it might be like, having their own space _together_ , and... wait, he was supposed to be not thinking about it. Because it wasn't a thing. 

_Deep breath in and out, and don't think too hard, Loki._ He told himself.

 _Seriously though,_ Tony wrote again, _I cannot keep all these places straight anymore. I have so many floorplans and booklets on my table that I'm going to have to start apologizing to every tree I pass on the way to work._

_You can't have been that many places in three days._

Tony sent a picture of the mess, and yeah, okay, he'd been very busy. He followed it with a selfie of his most comical pout that was so hilarious as to be convincing.

_Fine, you win. Saturday. You're picking me up._

_Yay! :D_ He sent two more pictures of himself blowing a kiss, and Loki silently admitted to his own sure defeat. He just couldn't manage to find himself bothered by it.

**xXx**

For all the places Tony already went around town, he and Loki still visited another six together before mid afternoon, and early on, Loki already started to feel the bogging weight of hunting through a variety of a flat qualities and availabilities. By the time they got to the last one of the day, neither was expecting much, but the place was actually kind of... _gorgeous_.

One wall of the living area was filled with floor-to-ceiling windows on a Southern exposure and overlooking the building's immaculately kept rooftop garden. Massive curtains and sheers hung from the ceiling and operated separate from each other either manually or by remote control for ease of privacy, but leaving them open afforded a spectacular skyline view as well. The kitchen wasn't large and the bathroom was fairly average to small in size, but those were frankly non-issues compared to the other amenities.

"Is this more of like what you were looking for?" The agent asked, their smile pleased and clearly already aware of the answer.

"Can't beat that view." Tony agreed as he came up behind Loki peeking through the bedroom doorway and admiring the same view as from the living area. "What do you think?"

"I think I'll be visiting you here a lot," Loki stated very seriously to the agent's chuckle.

"We have other availabilities if you're interested."

"Don't need it." Loki turned on his heel and slipped his arm around Tony's waist as Tony wrapped his own arm across his body to hold Loki's hand in place and tangle their fingers together. "I'll borrow his."

The agent nodded amusedly and focused on Tony. "Shall I start the paperwork then?"

"You shall. Lead the way."

Tony kept Loki's hand there until they physically had to part as they sat down, and he still encouraged Loki to sit in the companion chair as they went through the contracts and other fine print and details. In between signing pages and checks and the agent stepping away to make copies of the necessary documents, Tony was covering his fidgeting well, but Loki had learned to spot the restless, nervous tics his fiancé exhibited.

"Looks like you're my good luck charm." He finally said, and Loki spotted one of those unreadable looks in Tony's eyes. "How about dinner out as a thank you? Tomorrow night?"

"You ask as if I'm likely to say no."

"Well, you never know." There was that flicker again, stronger than ever, but Tony took a deep breath in, and the look faded. "Your pick." He redirected, but Loki allowed it and leaned in close enough to almost kiss.

"Mmm, Andino's."

Tony snorted but pecked a short kiss to Loki's lips. "You got it."

The restaurant was one of Loki's favorites (and Tony had a fondness for indulging Loki) for a casual atmosphere with spectacular food and no frivolity. Andino's wasn't overly upscale but priced enough to not be as prone to families with small children. 

Neither Tony or Loki were strangers to particularly fancy restaurants, but when their date came, Tony was restless and uncomfortable again throughout the whole meal. No stranger would notice Tony's well-masked anxiety hidden in the tension of shoulders and how usually easy movements were now stiff and unnatural. He spent most of the time giving Loki confusingly longing looks across the table that Loki found more than slightly suspicious, but prompting Tony only got a smile and a headshake as an answer, so Loki dropped it.

At least until their plates were cleared. Then Loki set his elbows on the table, sent Tony a "no bullshit" look and told him to spill the beans or else.

Tony smiled a oddly timid smile before giving in and taking Loki's hand at the edge of the table, his face serious and his tone even more so. "I have something to ask you."

What? This wasn't _that_. Not a marriage proposal in a semi-formal restaurant on a Sunday night. Was it? _What_?

"Loki," Loki stared dumbfounded, but Tony continued: "will you do me the honor of leasing a deluxe apartment in the sky with me?"

Loki's stomach unclenched so fast he felt like he was going to pass out. "You _nerd._ " Loki scoffed and shook his head. "Don't scare me like that!"

"Well I tried casual!" Tony defended, but there was mischief in his eyes, and Loki wanted to kiss him about as much as wanting to smack him up the back of the head. "You told me to try again, so here's my _proper proposal_."

" _Such_ a nerd." But Tony was _Loki's_ nerd, and he wouldn't have it any other way. "Maybe I can snap you into shape when we're living together."

The grin that split Tony's face was almost too much. It was definitely worth it to say yes where he could see that expression.

"You can certainly try." Tony challenged.

"I look forward to it."

"Me too." His smile tamed into a softer glow, but his eyes were still over-bright and filled with everything that reminded Loki how he fell in love with such a menace.

At the prospect of waking every morning with Tony at Loki's side, at going to bed together, sharing a space together, creating a home... It was hard to say what Loki awaited more. Every idea set his heart soaring to think of, and now they were all at his fingertips. It seemed more tangible than ever: life with Tony. Not just a title and dates and spending the night - _life_ with Tony.

And there was no place Loki would rather be moving forward with Tony at his side.

 

 

***~*~SUPER SPECIAL BONUS EXTRA~*~***

 

_STEVE, HELP_

Steve punched in his phone's passcode and pulled up Tony's message.

_??? A LITTLE HELP ON HOW I'M SUPPOSED TO HELP WOULD HELP._

_I need you to use your wiles on Bucky._

He stared. That had to make more sense in Tony's head. _Any particular reason I should?_

_Because I want to ask Loki to move in with me, and I kind of want to know how likely it would be that he would say yes before I ask him._

_I have an even crazier idea than that._ Steve suggested.

_You have my attention, please proceed._

_Just a thought,_ he sent first, _but just maybe_ another single to annoy Tony, _the best way to know for sure_

_Rogers, I will hack into your phone and find you if you don't stop jerking me off here._

_YOU COULD JUST TALK TO LOKI ABOUT MOVING IN._

_... I'm thinking not, but thank you for not helping._

Tony didn’t text back again that day, and Steve didn't check in. At some point, Tony would realize he could actually talk to Loki, but it wouldn't be now. Still. Steve switched contacts and started a new message:

_Hey, Buck, I've got a news update for you. Guess who else might be moving house._

**xXx**

Rhodey didn't see the texts until he was on his way off base.

A couple hours earlier, Tony had sent a message in his usual manner of no context and straight to the point.

_Rhodey, I had a thought._

When Rhodey hadn't replied after a half hour, Tony had sent another one: _I didn't intend to leave you speechless with that revelation, but I suppose it is an oddity, me thinking and all._

Ten minutes after that, he'd sent another one. _Tried to ask Bruce. He was busy too. I think I lost him somewhere around "I need an opinion" and the rest was white noise to him. Bruce is not a great listener._

Another thirty minutes, and: _Seriously. I am having thoughts and they're causing me Issues._ He sent.

Another twenty minutes... _You should know that I tried to ask Steve to help while waiting on you to leave base, but Steve was as useful as asking my tailor. I'm specifically asking other people in order to avoid asking one person unprepared, and the solution to that problem is definitely not to ask the person I'm avoiding asking._ Just a few minutes after that, he'd added, _So you see my dilemma. Or actually you don't, because you're busy too._

Waiting as long as it would take to get into his car would only yield more messages, so Rhodey typed out his reply as he walked. _Resident Issue Listener, reporting in._

 _HI, CONVINCE ME NOT TO ASK LOKI TO MOVE IN WITH ME._ Tony responded nearly immediately.

Rhodey stumbled. _Shouldn't I be convincing you to ask him, not to not ask him?_

_The fatal flaw in that plan is that I would have to ask him, and I don't know what he would say._

_Well, he's the only one that can tell you if he would say yes or not, so_

_You're as helpful as Steve._ Tony messaged, and didn’t text back even when Rhodey prompted him. But Tony would either ask or he wouldn't, and Loki would either say yes or no. There weren't a whole lot of other possibilities in this equation.

**xXx**

Her phone had been blissfully quiet all day, but when the shit rolled in, it came all at once. Clint sent her a text first, saying nothing more but _be prepared_ and she only managed to unlock her screen before receiving another message, this time from Tony.

_Miss Widow, you're an expert on Loki._

Tony had a talent for starting conversations in the middle, but Natasha was pretty fond of it, to be honest. She thanked Clint for the short warning and returned to Tony's message. _It's wise to begin with complimenting me._

_I have this gift for knowing what people like~_

_I know you do, but you have questions you distressingly cannot find the answers to, so you came to me._ She surmised, and Tony sent back nothing but a bowing emoji. _Gratitude can be given in the form of chocolate later. What's the Loki question?_

_On a scale of yes to no, how likely would Loki want to move in with me?_

Natasha's heart did a vicarious double beat. But why Tony was texting her instead of Loki was rather perplexing. _You could ask him?_

_I want to known the answer BEFORE I ask the question though, and I trust your super secret spy powers._

_I'm a writer, not a spy._ She corrected.

 _You write spies, therefore you've pretty much learned how to be a spy._ Tony reasoned, _Therefore you might have an inkling as to what Loki might say._

_You've been ~fiances~ for almost eight months. You love each other. You rarely spend the night alone anymore. I think Loki will say yes if you bring it up. Just keep it casual._

_I'm sending you baskets of chocolate, btw._ He texted back, and Natasha grinned privately. She always knew Loki had a good eye for guys, but Tony did take the cake for her favorite of any Loki's past boyfriends. _Any other tips?_

 _Depends on how big and how many baskets we're talking here._ She said but was more than pleased to help offer a few more bits of advice to encourage Tony.

**xXx**

The next day, Natasha received several quickfire texts from Tony again.

 _HE THOUGHT I WAS FUCKING JOKING._ was the first, and the capslock stayed on.

_I DON’T KNOW IF HE KNEW AND WAS AVOIDING IT, OR IF HE LEGITIMATELY THOUGHT I WAS JOKING_

_BUT MAYBE HE KNEW AND WAS EVADING AND TRYING TO BE NICE ABOUT TURNING ME DOWN. BUT I DON'T KNOW._

Natasha couldn't reply fast enough to beat Tony's next several similarly minded messages of confusion and distress, but she finally finished a short one that was able to put his on pause.

 _Tony, take a breath and take your fingers off the keyboard._ When the typing icon stopped for a few seconds, she started typing again. _What exactly did he say when you asked?_

_Well, I kept it casual, and he asked me what kind of proposal that was and to try again._

_Exact words, Tony._

There were a few seconds' pause, then _"what the fuck kind of proposal is that, try again, peasant"_

That sounded like Loki's joking tone, but surely he would have taken a proposal like moving in together slightly more seriously. Unless Loki was distracted with something else at the time and wasn't paying full attention. Or Tony phrased it a little _too_ casually. Or maybe it was all three at once.

 _???_ Tony sent when she didn't write back after a few moments.

 _It doesn't sound like evasion._ Was about all she could be sure of with such little context. _He did say to try again. So maybe try again?_

_I'm thinking you don't realize how much it took for me to ask once._

_Maybe it was too casual. Did you try getting him to come apartment hunting with you?_

_He declined jokingly?_

_I'm sure you have ways of bribing him. Even _I_ have ways of bribing him_

_Alright._ Tony sent, and Natasha could almost here the nervous sigh through a single word. _Second time, second method. It better not take a charming third try._

_Just make your second time charming enough to convince him early._

_Right. No pressure._

_Tony, wait_ he sent back another series of question marks to her request, and she very carefully phrased her next message: _Not that I think he will say no, but he does adore you, no matter what. Don't allow anything to let you doubt otherwise._

There was a moment, then _Thank you, Natasha. You're too good for me~_

_You amuse me, and I like Loki's acidity. You both make for entertainment._

_I feel the love._

And so could she. Tony was Natasha's kind of asshole, and she was quicker to admit falling in love with Tony than Loki had. Then again, platonic love was much faster than romantic love.

_I expect to be maid of honor at the wedding._

_The only thing I would argue on that would be whether you're my maid of honor or Loki's._

_Make me both. Make all the boys jealous._

_Keep saying stuff like that, and I'll have to marry you too._

Funny. It didn’t sound all that bad. Who said you couldn't marry a good friend? Now she just had to convince Clint of that.


	8. Invitation and Appreciation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A surprise in the mail leads to seeing each other in whole new ways.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy holidays, y'all~

Reality was not always as perfect as the fantasy. Tony'd had plenty of fantasies about living with Loki, and the reality of living with a mostly-stay-at-home, more-than-slightly perfectionistic novelist was, to put it mildly, more than slightly different.

Several months ago, they had their rocky phase of learning each other's less picturesque qualities and how to work with and around them, and now they had moved onto the next phase of doing the exact same thing with different qualities. It had been a little more than a month since they picked out the apartment together for Tony, only for Tony to ask Loki to move in with him. Much of the first couple of weeks was spent packing between their old apartments, discussing which stuff was coming with them from each place, what was going into storage, and what else was just going to be donated, which left only the last fortnight of actually living together in a shared space that was _theirs_ together, not just sharing time in a space that was Tony's or Loki's. Tony wanted Loki to be happy and at home in their apartment together; it was just taking adjustment. A lot of adjustment. Maybe they just needed to have a couple more talks about this.

About... all of this.

Almost on cue (or rather, after Tony had spent five minutes opening every door in the upper kitchen cabinets and peering in remaining boxes), he heard the front door open, the familiar sound of Loki's boots coming inside, and the door closing behind. "Tony? You here?"

"Kitchen!"

Loki's face popped around the corner a few seconds later and blinked at the flung open cabinet doors. "Is everything alright?"

"Where the fuck is the rosemary?"

His confusion faded, and Loki released a small laugh as he made the circuit around the small kitchen, closing doors one-by-one with one hand, with a bundle of letters held in the other. "Trying to cook, dear?"

"The kitchen needs work." Tony said as Loki came to the last cabinet beside Tony, plucked a spice jar off the turntable inside, and handed it over with an only slightly abashed smirk.

"Hey, listen, I love that you're moving things in and all, honest to god, I really am," Tony stepped closer and smoothed his hands down Loki's arms, "but we might have to utilize some sticky notes if you're going to keep re-organizing the kitchen whenever you're stalled on a scene."

"I might have gotten slightly carried away." Loki admitted with a glance around the kitchen and out into the living room still spread out with boxes in various states of half-full, emptied, or untouched. "The boxes were waiting to be unpacked, and I... am I overstepping?" Tragically, Loki's pinched brows betrayed nervousness like he actually thought that was possible here, and Tony was not going to let that stand.

"No, you're not overstepping unpacking boxes of our stuff into our place. C'mere." Tony slipped his hands to Loki's cheeks and pulled him down into a consoling kiss. "You just get to cook until I learn where things are."

Huffing a relieved laugh, Loki nodded, offering the paper bundle to Tony. "Here. You take the mail, I'll take the recipe."

"Good deal." They easily switched places and Loki started retrieving ingredients, absently humming tunelessly under his breath and unwittingly soothing them both as Tony leafed through the mail.

Junk, bill, coupons, junk- oooo, formal, handwritten calligraphy on a thick envelope. To _Mr Anthony Stark and Mr. Loki Borsson_ in an impeccable, bold hand right above their new address. Damn, their names looked fantastic together.

As Tony flipped it over and pulled the card from the already opened envelope, Loki glanced back and noticed his attention. "I meant to ask about that, actually. I haven't seen an invite like that in years, not sure how our names got on the register."

His eyes scanned over the invite to a black-tie charity gala with a date set a couple months ahead in November, the kind you had to make a sizable donation just to attend and would be filled with people that certainly didn't rent a suit for the occasion. Tony knew them very, very well.

Proffering the card out to Loki, Tony tapped at the sponsor's name at the top. "Came to us because of them. They’re a subsidiary of SI, and where SI's kids go, well..." He flipped it back around again for closer consideration. "Mom probably put us on the list. I usually go for solidarity and appearances, family business and all."

Tony glanced up at Loki's incredulous laugh. "I keep forgetting just how wealthy you are. Even when I don’t know exactly how wealthy."

"You're not broke yourself, honey. I caught an accidental glance at a royalty check of yours once."

"The product of long hours and hard fought inspiration. Not quite as casually loaded as you." Loki was casual about the money issue though, thankfully. He was familiar and comfortable enough around wealth and well aware that Tony was a bit sensitive on the issue, so as much as he didn’t avoid a discussion, he still wouldn’t press for details. Just skirt around it and tease.

"We don’t have to go to the thing." Tony assured, more on topic as he tossed the card and envelope with the rest of the mail onto an empty section of counter. "It can just be me and my monkey suit alone." There was a clatter of bottle against the stone counter, and when Tony glanced back, Loki was staring back with slightly wide eyes. "You okay?"

"I'm sorry, but did you say that you would be in a suit?"

Aha. "That's right, you've never seen me in Armani before, have you?"

Loki made a helpless face and slumped back against the counter. "You have _Armani._

"And custom-tailored."

Loki just groaned. "Do I have to go to the party to see you suited up?"

"No, but you can parade me around on your arm if we go together."

Loki's poor bottom lip was being worried to a painfully bright red between his teeth, until Tony just had to step over and coax Loki into letting Tony kiss it better.

"Let me take you to the party, and I can parade you around on my arm too. And everyone can see just how unavailable we are."

The breathy laugh that fell from Loki's lips was pure mischief, and Tony had to kiss that too. "You've got yourself a deal. Still have the number of that tailor?"

"Of course. That was my next suggestion." Tony brushed his hands down the front of Loki's shirt. "Nothing off the rack for my fiancé. We're going to make everyone's jaw drop."

"I can't wait."

**xXx**

It was his damn tailor, and they wouldn't even let him see.

Okay, that was an exaggeration.

Tony passed on the number for Quinn, the finest tailor Tony had found on two coasts, and Loki set an appointment to go in at a time that not only Tony could come with, but that Natasha and Bucky could too. That was all well and good, until Natasha shooed Tony out once they got to the good part, citing that Tony needed to be surprised on the night.

"It's not bad luck to see him; this isn't a wedding, Nat, it's a fancy party."

"The first fancy party with your fiancé." She argued with a sympathetic pat to his arm. "Are you saying you aren't going to enjoy the look on Loki's face the first time he sees you in a perfectly fitted suit? Give him the same pleasure."

"By sitting with my back to my half-naked fiancé while everyone else gets to look and touch?" Tony didn't whine, but he gave Natasha a very convincing pleading face that only made her laugh.

"Patience is a virtue, _ptitsaka_." She tapped the tip of his nose. "You know he'll be worth the wait."

"Fine, guilt it out of me." He reclined in the chair and pulled out his phone while Natasha gave him a kiss on the cheek and started back to the back room to help Loki. "Would have been nice to have a warning so I could have brought my tablet though!"

She called back with another word in Russian that Tony couldn't even begin to try and repeat. "It's good for you!"

But whatever she said was good for him, it wasn't good for as long as it took sitting out there alone, restlessly surfing and playing and designing on the too-small screen of his phone while listening to the others talking in the back room. Quinn passed by occassionally on the way to fetching things, giving Tony short updates and commentary without breaking stride, but he ultimately left Tony's care to his own devices and Quinn's soft-spoken assistant. Finally, Quinn came back out front for more than moment, and tapped Tony on the shoulder on his way across the room to his assistant.

"Your fiancé is getting dressed again." Quinn informed and gave Tony a smirk. "And Miss Romanoff is right - it's better you wait."

Pocketing his phone, Tony stood, giving a tempted peek back at the door to the back room, but there was no good line of sight even if the door had been open. "You work your magic?"

"Hmm." Quinn set his notepad down on the desk towards the front door with a thoughtful pause. "On the night of the party," he glanced back, "get dressed early. Just in case it takes a second try to make it out of the house."

Tony snorted. He did always like humility in a person. "I'll trust your taste. And that's why I'm gladly footing the bill."

Quinn's eyebrows went halfway up his forehead. "And this will be a surprise to Mr. Borsson, I presume."

"You know me too well, Mr. Quinn."

"Sometimes, I think so too." Quinn sighed.

**xXx**

Quinn was a professional and managed to delay revealing that Tony paid for the suit until after the final fitting. Tony hadn't attended the secondary fittings; Bucky or Nat had instead to keep the big reveal, so when Loki came home with a garment bag flung over his arm and a glare on his face, Tony hazarded a guess that the suit was done and the secret was out.

"Mind telling me what he meant?" Loki asked. "'It's already been paid for,' he said?"

Tony slung his arm over the back of sofa and shifted to better face Loki. "Happy early birthday?"

"A _three thousand dollar_ birthday gift?"

"I'm going to let that slide since we haven't quite been dating a whole year and we're still learning things about each other, but hi, I'm Tony Stark, and I rarely do anything in moderation. "

"You're not my pint-sized sugar daddy." Loki stated firmly and turned on his heel to stalk back to the bedroom in defeat as Tony gaped back.

"'Pint-sized' was uncalled for!"

"Don't sneak-buy things for me then!"

He heard the flop of the garment bag on the bed, but the door didn't slam closed, so Tony hoped that meant good things. "So do you like the suit?"

"It’s perfect, thanks!" Loki snapped back, petulant and proud but still unable to hate a quality gift.

Tony returned to his tablet with a smirk. "Love you!"

There was a long pause before Tony heard the shuffle of feet come back into the hall, and when he pivoted to look, Loki was standing just in view with a fainter glare.

"Somehow, I still love you too." And then disappeared back into the bedroom.

Yep. Lovable annoyance. Tony still had it going on.

Thankfully, Loki was forgiving, mostly because he wasn't really mad, more peeved at Tony for sneaking in an expensive gift. Assuaging Loki's guilt was relatively easy for Tony with the right words, reasoning that they both needed to look their best to achieve maximum jealousy inducement at the party, and by the end of the week, Loki teased about Tony's spending habits but otherwise didn't chastise for it.

As the planned night crept closer, anticipation outweighed any lasting grievances, and Tony spent most of the day of in barely contained excitement, waiting for nightfall and counting down the hours. When it came time, they even changed in separate rooms to further get it all right for the reveal. But nerves had them triple-checking themselves, and despite the early start, it soon wasn't enough.

"Loki, we're gonna be late!" Tony fixed the hang of the red scarf tucked under the lapels of his suit jacket.

 _"The only reason you're concerned is because your mother will be there!"_ Loki called back through the bedroom door.

"Well, you're not wrong." Tony muttered more to himself than for Loki. "Also been waiting weeks to see your fine self dressed up! C'mon!"

_"Alright, I'm coming."_

Unconsciously, Tony held his breath at the sound of the bedroom door, eyes locked on the hallway, waiting for the first glimpse of his fiancé. He held his breath only to have it knocked out of him, it seemed.

Loki looked... was there a fitting word for how he looked? Sharp, unearthly, supernaturally _gorgeous_? The black of the suit was always a fantastic shade on him, and his favorite scarf was striking over top of it all. Everything thing fit and fell perfectly, no fold out of place, just snug enough to accentuate his slim figure without being obscene, and it left Loki looking both regal and completely edible.

"My," Loki was a bit breathless himself as he took slow steps closer and brushed his hands down Tony's chest, minutely fixing his jacket and vest just so. "Don't you look dashing?"

"You look incredible." Tony reached up to run the long tails of Loki's green and gold patterned scarf through his fingers, trying to use the smooth silk of it and the soft fabric of the suit to calm and ground him, but Tony could still feel Loki's gaze admiring every visible inch of Tony until his heart raced.

"Thank you again for the gift. It truly is worth every penny."

"I'm definitely going to agree with you there." He drew his sights back up to meet Loki's, bright and happy. "I take it back, actually. 'Incredible' isn't a strong enough word."

"How about 'tempting' then?" Loki grinned, and oh, Tony was feeling just that now. His fiancé looked amazing in a suit, and Tony already knew Loki looked amazing out of it too, but how would he look half out of it and flushed all over from Tony's intimate attentions?

"Maybe we can be a _little_ late..." Tony could taste Loki's low chuckle against his lips as he pulled Loki in and tried to very thoroughly make Loki feel the temptation too.

Loki pulled back all too soon though, with a very regretful noise. "But then we would remember Maria."

Ah. Yeah. She would figure out exactly why they were late, and that would be a tease she could keep returning to for weeks. "How dare you be a voice of reason."

"I decided to try it this once."

"Mm-hm. And how did you like it?"

"It stopped me from appreciating my finely dressed fiancé in a far more _intimate_ fashion than just words. I hated it. Let's not be reasonable again."

"Agreed. Guess I'll have to suit up again later just for you then."

"How about this: we get back tonight, we can take all the time we want to enjoy each other's company, clothed and otherwise?"

"This sounds like a good plan. I like your brain. And your everything else too."

"I'm quite fond of yours too." Pecking another small kiss to Tony's forehead, Loki stepped back and grabbed their coats off the back of the sofa. "Shall we then? The sooner we leave, the sooner we can return."

"Alright, you've convinced me. C'mon, let's go show off."

**xXx**

The event was about the same as the ones Loki remembered from his youth, but this time, he had the fortune of much improved company with Tony at Loki's side and on his arm.

They made a beeline for Maria as soon as they arrived, but got sidetracked frequently by socialites and business associates that recognized Tony and greeted him with familiarity. Tony was a different man at formal events - head a little higher, conversation a little more professional, and yet he still took no shit, proudly introduced Loki as his fiancé without hesitation, and quickly and cleanly cut through and stole away from anyone that disapproved. The latter was few and far between though; most were happy for them, a handful even recognized Loki and were delighted readers of his works, eagerly awaiting his current work-in-progress. Many teased about stealing such a charmer off the market (and it varied whether they meant Tony or Loki), those more familiar with Tony would quiz Loki with genuine interest, and the grand majority excitedly asked if they had picked a date yet. Tony evaded the date question brilliantly with a casual comment of having no need to rush when they weren't going anywhere without each other any time soon. It said enough without saying too much, and it only deepened the curling warmth in Loki's chest.

Loki always knew they had a long future together before them, but somehow, it was only just now that it felt real. To everyone here, they were engaged; no one made note about how neither of them had rings yet, and the only question of their engagement was when the big day was. For the first time, Loki actually felt it was all the more real, that they were fiancés, and that calling each other such was not just a teasing inside joke that everyone played along with. For the first time, Tony was Loki's fiancé, and it was no joke.

Loki tried to put it out of his mind for later consideration, but it bubbled up in his chest at every turn and every new introduction to another guest that was shocked to discover Tony settling down or thrilled to meet a successful author and charmed by them together. The feeling simmered to a slightly uncertain weight in his gut, but it was easily weathered.

By the time they found Maria, they’d spent nearly twenty minutes making their way around, and Loki was happy for a familiar face. Despite the rough first meeting, things had much improved with Tony’s mother since then. As Loki stuck around longer and she was assured that Loki was more than a passing fancy, Maria had taken to Loki like a second son, giving a kiss to both cheeks each time they met and calling him pet names that Loki would have to ask Tony to translate with amusement. Once she wasn't so terrifying, Loki had come to grow fond of her as well, like the prouder and less manipulative mother that he never had.

"You two look so handsome together." She pulled back from hugging each of them to pat them both on the cheek. "So sharply dressed."

"It seemed a good occasion." Loki left out the part where Tony provided it. "Thank you for the invitation, Ms. Stark."

"'Ms. Stark,' so formal. It is unnecessary." She got the same wicked glint in her eye that Tony would, before, "but make an honest man of my son, and you can call me Mom." Maria assured with a wink.

"An honest man?" Tony chimed in to defuse Loki's awkward laugh, "That doesn't sound fun at all. Fun is living in sin with my boyfriend." Maria quickly rattled off something in her native tongue that sounded admonishing, and Tony physically bit back his smirk even as his body language was chastised. "Yes, ma'am."

"Good boy." She patted his cheek. "Now go, I'm sure you haven't showed each other off to everyone yet."

"We have a few more to go," Tony agreed. "Is Pep here tonight?"

"She's making the rounds." Maria peered out over the crowd and nodded towards the other side of the room. "There, with Mr. Hogan."

"Thanks. See you later, Mom." He leaned in to give her one more cheek kiss before grabbing Loki's hand and hauling him off towards an unknown mystery woman as Loki could only manage a parting wave to Maria.

Tony pulled Loki through the crowd with purpose, and Loki was amused and curious enough to play along and let the bemused looks of the people they passed to roll off his back. He had no idea who exactly they were aiming for until Tony called out the odd name and a redheaded woman a dozen or so feet away glanced over and spotted them.

The woman, "Pep," was classically stunning, her smile warm and her slender figure dressed in a rich blue dress. She carried herself much like Maria did - tall, confident, and refined, but still slightly detached at first meeting until she knew who she was dealing with and how to regard them.

But for Tony, as he released Loki's hand and moved in towards Pep instead, she readily held out her arms to return his hug affectionately. "Heya, Pepper." When they pulled back, Tony reached for Loki's hand again and coaxed him closer. "C'mere, babe, I want you to meet someone. Loki, this is Virginia Potts, Vice President and the real heir to Stark Industries' throne." Tony gestured to the woman. "Pepper, this is Loki."

"The famous fiance." Virginia - or was it Pepper? - smiled and held out her hand for a congenial handshake. "It's nice to finally meet you. And Tony," she nodded to Tony, "always a trouble." She said with the same even, professional tone even when her eyes flickered with amusement and affection.

"But you still love me." Tony defended in stride, unoffended by the barb.

"Can't hate on the boss' son." She replied, unflappable before glancing back to Loki. "I was wondering if I might have to wait until the wedding to meet you. Ms. Stark's been bragging about her future son-in-law for months."

"I had no idea I was the talk of the town." And yet, despite the intro, he still hadn't quite caught her name. "Sorry, it's Pepper? Or Virginia?"

Tony snickered to himself as she sighed. "Threaten a man with Pepper spray once, and no one ever forgets..." Now that sounded like a story, but she shook it off and smiled. "Virginia. Pepper is Tony's creation, and I haven't quite escaped it yet."

"Is it possible to escape Tony’s nicknames?"

"No." She stated simply. "You learn to accept them, mostly. Like most of Tony's quirks."

"Hey, don't give my fiancé any ideas." Tony tried to defend himself to no avail.

"I've already learned a few of those." Loki said, and Tony piped in with an offended "hey!" and a betrayed pout until Loki squeezed his hand. "Much as he's done for my own eccentricities. But it's always been worth it for love."

Tony's pout fractured into a bit of a smitten half-smile, and Virginia's small laugh broke their momentary staring contest.

"Lucky he's easy to love." She agreed with an approving smile between them, and Tony flustered to change the subject, ultimately bringing more attention to his flattery and embarassment, but Loki found it all the more charming. Tony was a suave, smooth-talking, fidgeting, awkward, self-conscious nerd, and his extremely varied facets was part of his charm. He was never boring, and Loki wanted nothing more than to keep the Tony's spice in Loki's life for as long as Tony was willing to stay.

**xXx**

In the end, it was worlds better than Loki expected after all. Seeing another side of Tony, meeting another longtime friend in Virginia Potts, being an unquestioned couple, it turned Loki’s world on end all over again. He was forced to reevaluate, to question and consider what he wanted. And decide what he was going to do with it.

When they got home, it was late, after a long night, but without a word about it, they both remembered what they had planned for the end of the night, and anticipation fueled them. They got as far as getting out of their coats and tossing them back over a chair in the living room before Tony turned and threw his arms over Loki's shoulders. Loki's arms wrapped around Tony's waist instinctively, holding him close but nothing more yet.

"Thanks for coming along tonight." Tony pulled Loki into a gentle swaying motion, ever so subtly using it to sidle closer. "I had fun."

"I did too." And Loki was honestly shocked that he did, but it was hardly something to complain about. "I couldn't tell if there were more people jealous of me for catching you or vice versa."

Tony made an undignified snort. "Po-tay-to, pa-tah-to. Either way, I liked feeling like a real couple and getting all the cheesy wedding questions. We got more wedding venue suggestions than I even knew existed."

"And insistances that June is the best month to wed. Puzzling."

Tony made a repulsed face. "Who the hell wants to dress up in suits in the middle of summer?"

"I don't even want to leave the house in the summer, let alone have an outdoor wedding in a garden." Loki fussed, and Tony just laughed and stretched up to touch their foreheads together.

"Well, I'm glad we agree on that too. And lucky us, we already have the right suits for the ceremony."

"They are wonderful." Shifting his hands to cross behind Tony's back, Loki drew Tony against him, feeling the swell of Tony's chest against Loki's. "What if I suggested a theme wedding instead? Perhaps a nice leather and metal number?"

Tony made a helpless noise in the tiny space between them. "I'm going to be honest - you can wear whatever you want as long as we still get to the best part of the wedding."

"Hm, you mean," Loki's hands slipped lower, and Tony sighed out an shaky breath against Loki's lips, "the wedding night?"

"I mean the part where we say 'I do' and you become mine."

 _Oh._ Could his heart still grow three sizes even when he wasn't a grinch? Loki just raised one hand to cradle Tony's cheek instead, delighting in how Tony leaned his face into the touch. "I already am yours."

Tony's beaming smile lasted for just a moment before he covered it with Loki's mouth, but Loki could still feel it in Tony's kiss and his hands and see it in Tony's eyes.

They might not even be properly engaged yet, but what would it hurt to rehearse the wedding night early?

And afterwards, when Tony was half-asleep, curled up on his side with his back to Loki's chest and Loki staring at their entwined left hands laying on the bed in front of Tony, Loki came to the conclusion that it was time for the inside joke of calling each other their fiancé had run out its time. Tony's finger really had been bare for far too long, and it was time Loki got to changing that.


End file.
